inniverstts  of  Cbtcago 

FOUNDED  BY  JOHN  D.  HOCKEFn,  . 


REPORT 


OF 


'he  Committee  Appointed  in  November,  1914, 
to  Investigate  the  Relations  of  Departmental 
Libraries  in  the  University  of  Chicago 


EDITED  BY 

J.  C.  M.  HANSON 

Secretary  of  the  Committee 


1917 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CHICAGO  PRESS 
CHICAGO,  ILLINOIS 


• 


PREFATORY  NOTE 

The  co-ordination  of  Departmental  Libraries  with  one  another  and  with  the 
General  Library  is  a  question  more  acute,  perhaps,  at  the  University  of  Chicago 
than  elsewhere.  Nevertheless  the  problems  involved  should  be  of  interest  to 
all  large  university  libraries.  Following  the  example  of  a  similar  committee  of 
the  University  of  Glasgow,  the  University  of  Chicago  Committee  has  therefore 
decided  to  make  the  report  of  its  investigations  available  in  printed  form.  It  is 
thought  that  not  only  members  of  the  Faculty  and  administrative  officers  of  the 
University  of  Chicago,  but  also  officers  of  other  universities  and  libraries  con- 
fronted by  similar  conditions,  may  find  the  report  of  assistance.  Particularly 
should  the  answers  from  the  large  university  libraries  to  the  list  of  questions  sent 
out  by  the  Committee  prove  of  value  for  comparison  and  reference. 

REPORT  OF  COMMITTEE  ON  DEPARTMENTAL  LIBRARIES 

The  establishment  in  1892  of  a  considerable  number  of  Departmental 
Libraries  and  their  subsequent  development  without  adequate  co-ordination  or 
central  control  of  purchases,  catalogues,  classification  systems,  and  rules  had  by 
1914  led  to  a  condition  which  clearly  demanded  the  attention  of  the  Board  of 
Libraries. 

After  some  discussion  of  the  difficulties  and  problems  involved,  a  Committee 
was  appointed,  consisting  of  the  following:  E.  D.  Burton,  R.  R.  Bensley,  H.  G. 
Gale,  C.  H.  Judd,  J.  M.  Manly,  E.  T.  Merrill,  R.  D.  Salisbury,  W.  I.  Thomas,  and 
J.  C.  M.  Hanson. 

Certain  suggestions  were  drawn  up  and  submitted  to  the  Committee,  as 
follows: 

1.  Study  the  reports  on  Departmental  Libraries,  other  data,  and  exhibits 
illustrating  present  conditions  and  tendencies,  to  be  submitted  by  the  Director 
and  Associate  Director  of  the  Libraries. 

2.  Decide  on  principles  to  be  followed  in  location — 

a)  Of  books  on  subjects  of  interest  to  several  departments. 

6)  Of  books  on  a  special  subject  of  interest  mainly  to  one  department. 

3.  Consider  whether  it  may  not  be  advisable  to  adopt  the  principle  followed 
in  the  great  majority  of  other  university  libraries,  viz.,  that  books  purchased  on 
the  appropriation  or  on  the  recommendation  of  a  given  department  are  not  neces- 
sarily to  be  classified  or  shelved  in  the  library  of  that  department,  but  rather  in 
the  department  with  whose  collections  the  work  belongs  according  to  its  subject- 
matter.     If  this  principle  is  not  to  be  generally  applied,  shall  it  be  adopted  for 
departments  housed  in  the  Harper  Group  ? 

4.  Decide  where  certain  important  classes  or  subclasses  of  interest  to  more 
than  one  department  are  to  be  located,  e.g.,  Classical  History  and  Topography, 
in  Classics  Library  or  History;  History  and  Topography  of  Romance,  and 
Germanic  countries,  in  History,  Modern  Languages,  or  Geography;  Educational 
Psychology,  Moral  and  Religious  Education,  in  Harper  or  in  Haskell;  books  on 
playgrounds  and  games,  in  Harper  or  in  Haskell;  Jewish  History  and  Topography, 
in  Harper  or  in  Haskell;  etc. 

1 


Of 


T»E:  tJ'Ni VERSIFY  OF  CHICAGO 


;     ,5^  ipJraw  •uV>;Y8gulations  governing  the  loan  of  books  between  the  General 
Library  and  the  Departments,  and  between  the  Departmental  Libraries. 

6.  Determine  principles  governing  ordering  of  books  on  the  same  subject 
for  more  than  one  department.     Examples  are  dictionaries,  encyclopedias,  and 
certain  other  books  of  reference. 

7.  Consider  the  advisability  of  permitting  the  loan  of  books  not  on  reserve 
and  not  strictly  reference  books  by  the  General  Library  to  a  Departmental 
Library  subject  to  recall  if  wanted;  also  how  far  this  loan  may  cover  collections 
of  books  as  well  as  individual  works. 

8.  Consider  the  advisability  of  setting  a  limit  to  the  size  of  a  Departmental 
Library. 

9.  Consider  whether  a  larger  fund  should  not  be  provided  for  the  purchase 
of  important  books,  mainly  those  of  general  interest  and  too  expensive  to  be 
purchased  on  the  appropriation  of  any  one  department. 

The  Committee  held  its  first  meeting  on  November  21,  1914,  with  Dr.  Burton, 
Director  of  the  Libraries,  in  the  chair,  and  Mr.  Hanson,  the  Associate  Director, 
acting  as  Secretary.  A  report  on  conditions  in  the  Libraries  was  read  which 
aimed  to  point  out  some  of  the  more  serious  shortcomings  of  the  present 
system. 

It  called  attention,  among  other  things,  to  the  fact  that  the  strong  interest 
of  the  University  from  the  beginning  in  research  work,  accompanied  as  it  was  by 
insufficient  funds  for  the  development  of  the  Libraries,  and  inadequate  general 
supervision  had  led  to  a  disproportionate  emphasis  on  purchase  of  books  as 
compared  with  cataloguing,  binding,  arrangement,  and  preservation,  to  a  dis- 
proportionate development  of  the  Departmental  Libraries  as  compared  with  the 
General  Library,  and  to  inadequate  co-ordination  of  the  former  with  one  another 
and  with  the  General  Library.  In  particular  some  of  the  Departmental 
Libraries  had  acquired  and  were  acquiring  books  outside  their  proper  fields, 
books  on  the  same  subjects  were  found  in  several  different  libraries,  sets  of 
books  remained  incomplete,  fragments  of  the  same  sets  or  series  were  found  in 
different  libraries,  and  books,  especially  serials  or  collections,  of  interest  to 
several  departments  were  often  found,  not  in  the  General  Library,  but  in  some 
one  Departmental  Library.  When  to  these  conditions  it  is  added  that  some 
Departmental  Libraries  had  reached  the  limit  of  their  space,  it  was  evident  that 
the  time  was  ripe  for  some  modification  of  the  practice  hitherto  followed  in 
respect  to  the  purchase  and  distribution  of  books. 

A  large  amount  of  illustrative  material  and  detailed  evidence  was  submitted 
without  reading. 

It  was  voted  to  send  a  list  of  questions  to  a  short,  selected  list  of  libraries, 
with  a  view  to  drawing  out  their  experience  and  judgment.  Mr.  Manly  and  Mr. 
Parker,  the  latter  having  taken  the  place  of  Mr.  Judd  on  the  Committee,  were 
appointed  with  the  secretary  as  a  Subcommittee  to  draw  up  the  questions. 

The  following  letter  was  accordingly  drafted  and  sent  to  each  of  twenty-four 
university  libraries: 

The  undersigned,  having  been  appointed  a  subcommittee  of  the  Library 
Board  of  the  University  of  Chicago  to  make  some  investigations  with  respect 
to  the  practice  of  universities  in  dealing  with  books  in  Departmental  Libraries, 
beg  to  submit  herewith  a  list  of  questions. 


RELATIONS    OF    DEPARTMENTAL    LIBRARIES       3 

In  explanation  of  our  inclusion  of  certain  points  on  which  there  should  be 
little  difference  of  opinion  among  American  university  librarians,  we  beg  to  state 
that  the  University  of  Chicago  has  since  its  organization  in  1892  followed  a  plan 
somewhat  different  from  that  adhered  to  in  most  other  universities.  It  has,  for 
instance,  assigned  to  Departmental  Libraries  nearly  twenty-four  twenty-fifths 
of  the  annual  appropriations  for  books.  Moreover,  the  books  purchased  on  the 
appropriation  of  a  given  department  have  almost  invariably  been  located  in 
the  library  of  that  department  regardless  of  subject,  and,  at  any  rate  until  the 
last  year  or  so,  with  no  other  central  record  than  the  order  card  retained  and 
filed  in  the  General  Library. 


QUESTIONS 

1 .  How  many  Departmental  Libraries  have  you,  and  what  is  the  approximate 
number  of  volumes  in  each  of  these  libraries  ? 

2.  Is  the  allotment  of  books  to  Departmental  Libraries  under  the  control 
of  the  General  Library  or  a  Library  Committee  ? 

3.  Are  the  book  funds  divided  among  departments,  or  kept  under  the  control 
of  the  Central  Library,  or  a  Library  Committee,  and  if  under  central  control  is  a 
division  of  funds  by  subjects  or  classes  made  each  year  ? 

4.  What  rules  have  been  adopted  to  govern  the  following  points: 

a)  Withdrawal  of  books  already  on  the  shelves  of  the  General  Library  for  the 
use  of  a  Departmental  Library. 

6)  Transfer  of  publications  from  one  Departmental  Library  to  another. 

If  no  rules  have  been  adopted,  state  if  possible  how  these  matters  are  regu- 
lated. 

5.  Are  the  books  placed  in  Departmental  Libraries  considered  as  a  permanent 
deposit,  or  is  it  the  practice  to  return  them  to  the  General  Library  at  stated 
periods,  or  when  they  have  presumably  ceased  to  be  of  much  use  to  the  depart- 
ment, and  is  this  a  matter  of  General  Library  control,  department  control,  or  is  it 
arranged  by  mutual  agreement  between  the  departments  and  the   General 
Library  ? 

6.  In  case  a  student  or  instructor  in  one  department  recommends  a  book 
which  would  properly  be  classified  in  some  other  department,  is  it  customary  for 
the  department  which  recommends  the  book  to  pay  for  it  out  of  its  allotments, 
or  is  it  charged  against  the  allotment  of  the  department  to  which  the  book  falls 
by  reason  of  its  subject-matter  or  classification;   and,  if  the  latter  holds,  must 
the  librarian  secure  the  permission  of  the  department  against  whose  allotment  the 
book  is  charged  before  purchase  can  be  made  ? 

7.  If  the  allotment  is  controlled  by  a  department,  are  the  books  purchased 
on  recommendation  of  that  department  placed  in  the  Departmental  Library, 
even  though  by  their  subject-matter  they  may  belong  more  properly  in  another 
Departmental  Library  or  in  the  Central  Library  ? 

8.  Do  you  permit  different  editions  of  the  same  book,  or  different  books 
on  exactly  the  same  subject,  or  the  same  phase  of  the  same  subject,  to  be  placed 
in  different  libraries?     Similarly,  are  different  volumes  of  the  same  work,  e.g.,  of 
regular  periodicals,  or  the  reports  of  some  learned  society,  separated  and  placed 
in  different  libraries  ? 

9.  Is  there  any  arbitrary  limit  to  the  size  of  a  given  Departmental  Library, 
or  is  it  a  matter  regulated  by  space  and  funds  available;  and  does  the  authority 
for  such  regulation  rest  with  the  department  itself,  the  Library  Board,  or  the 
General  Library  ? 

10.  How  far  are  students  of  one  department,  particularly  undergraduates, 
allowed  to  consult  the  library  of  another  department  ? 

11.  Are  the  books  in  Departmental  Libraries  represented  in  the  catalogues 
of  the  Central  Library,  and,  if  so,  how  far,  e.g.,  in  the  author  catalogue,  subject 
catalogue,  shelf -lists  ? 


THE    UNIVERSITY    OF    CHICAGO 


12.  Are  books  in  the  various  Departmental  Libraries  classified  on  a  uniform 
system,  and  does  that  system  conform  to  the  one  adopted  for  the  General  Library  ? 

13.  Are  Departmental  Libraries  officered  by  regular  trained  assistants  or  by 
student  help  ? 

14.  Are  your  regulations  governing  purchase  of  books  and  organization  of 
Departmental  Libraries  available  for  distribution?     The  Committee  would  in 
that  case  respectfully  request  that  a  copy  be  returned  with  this  questionnaire. 

J.  M.  MANLY 
S.  C.  PARKER 
J.  C.  M.  HANSON 

Of  the  twenty-four  libraries  to  which  letters  were  addressed,  only  one,  the 
University  of  Wisconsin  Library,  failed  to  answer.  This  institution  has  so  far 
not  been  seriously  hampered  by  Departmental  Library  problems.  Its  book 
resources  are,  with  a  few  well-defined  exceptions,  kept  together  in  the  Central 
Library.  For  this  reason  the  library  authorities  may  have  deemed  it  unnecessary 
to  make  a  statement. 

Many  of  the  answers  received  indicated  that  the  term  "Departmental 
Libraries"  was  by  no  means  given  the  same  interpretation  in  all  institutions.  In 
some  cases  it  was  made  to  include  large  professional  libraries,  such  as  those  of  the 
Law  School  and  the  Divinity  and  Medical  schools,  as  well  as  minor  collections 
of  fifty  to  one  hundred  volumes  kept  in  laboratories  or  seminars.  Most  of  the 
answers,  however,  attempted  to  differentiate  between  large  and  permanent  col- 
lections installed  for  use  of  schools,  departments,  or  groups  of  departments,  and 
minor  collections  of  more  or  less  temporary  character  kept  in  laboratories  and 
seminar  rooms. 

At  the  University  of  Chicago  the  term  "Departmental  Libraries"  has  been 
used  to  cover  collections  of  books  and  pamphlets  purchased  or  otherwise  acquired 
by  the  University  but  assigned  to  a  Departmental  Library.  At  present  it  holds 
more  particularly  for  the  departments  whose  libraries  are  not  housed  in  the  Cen- 
tral Library  building,  i.e.,  Psychology,  Physics,  Chemistry,  Astronomy  and  Mathe- 
matics, Biology,  Geology  and  Geography,  Classics,  Divinity,  Law,  Education. 

The  books  of  the  Departmental  Libraries  of  Philosophy,  History,  Sociology, 
Political  Economy,  Political  Science,  Modern  Languages  and  Literatures,  and 
the  old  General  Library  are  now  gradually  being  merged  into  one  central  collec- 
tion. This,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  Departmental  Reading-Rooms,  each  with 
its  own  attendant,  reference  collection,  and  author  catalogue,  are  still  kept  up, 
tends  to  reduce  materially  the  difficulties  and  expense  of  administration  as  far  as 
these  departments  are  concerned.  The  report  applies,  therefore,  more  specially 
to  the  first  group  of  Departmental  Libraries  mentioned  above. 

Some  of  the  responses  received  were  accompanied  by  suggestive  explanations 
of  special  conditions  existing  in  particular  universities,  and  copies  of  the  rules  and 
regulations  so  far  adopted  for  the  control  of  the  Departmental  Libraries.  Ex- 
tracts from  these  communications  are  included  here,  as  they  serve  to  throw  light 
on  the  situation  with  reference  to  Departmental  Libraries  at  given  institutions 
and  also  to  illustrate  the  differing  applications  of  the  term  "Departmental 
Libraries."  Besides,  a  brief  re'sume'  or  survey  of  the  rulings  and  practices  adopted 
by  some  of  the  leading  universities  for  the  control  of  such  departmental  collections 
should  prove  useful  for  reference. 


RELATIONS  OF  DEPARTMENTAL  LIBRARIES   5 

From  Mr.  Louis  N.  Wilson,  Librarian,  Clark  University  Library: 

Our  whole  Library  policy  differs  so  radically  from  your  list  of  questions  that 
I  think  it  best  to  write  you  what  we  do  here  rather  than  to  attempt  to  answer  the 
questions 

We  have  no  departmental  libraries,  but  we  have  a  separate  library  for  under- 
graduates administered  in  just  the  same  way  as  is  the  University  Library,  which 
it  adjoins  although  in  a  separate  building.  The  College  Library  has  its  own  card 
catalogue,  and  duplicates  of  these  cards  are  filed  in  the  main  catalogue  in  the 
University  Library  with  the  word  "College"  stamped  upon  them.  The  two 
libraries  are  under  one  head  and  assistants  and  books  are  interchangeable.  AH 
books  are  catalogued  and  cards  made  in  the  one  cataloguing  room  in  the  Uni- 
versity Library.  Books  kept  in  the  College  Library  (about  12,000  volumes)  are 
such  as  are  needed  for  undergraduate  courses  and  may  be  taken  out  freely  by 
either  college  or  university  students,  but  the  college  students  may  use  the  Uni- 
versity Library  only  for  reference  purposes 

The  departments  of  Physics,  Chemistry,  and  Psychology  have  each  a  small 
collection  of  books  used  as  laboratory  material  and  bought  by  the  Library. 
These  collections  are  not  to  exceed  200  volumes  in  any  one  case  and  must  all  be 
duplicates  of  books  in  the  University  Library.  The  Library  buys,  catalogues, 
marks  these  books,  and  checks  them  up  once  a  year.  Beyond  this  we  have  no 
control  over  them. 

The  Librarian  makes  out  his  budget  each  year  after  consultation  with  the 
President.  It  goes  before  the  Board  of  Trustees  and  is  acted  upon  by  them.  All 
expenditures  rest  with  the  Librarian  absolutely.  There  is  no  division  of  book 
funds  by  departments.  All  requests  for  books  and  journals  are  made  to  the 
Librarian.  He,  of  course,  keeps  a  record  of  the  books  bought  for  each  depart- 
ment and  when  he  thinks  a  department  has  expended  as  much  as  in  his  judgment 
seems  wise  he  confers  with  the  head  of  that  department.  Should  any  difference 
of  opinion  arise  the  matter  is  referred  to  the  President,  just  as  any  difficulty  arising 
between  departments  naturally  would  be  referred. 

Suggestions  for  purchase  of  books  are  received  from  Faculty  and  students 
alike,  but  all  books  are  classified  according  to  library  regulations  and  irrespective 
of  the  source  of  the  order  for  their  purchase. 

This  has  all  worked  admirably  with  us  and  the  relations  between  the  Library 
and  all  departments  of  the  University  and  College  are  excellent.  The  Library 
is  looked  upon  as  the  heart  of  the  whole  institution  and  its  chief  asset.  There  is  a 
Library  Committee,  but  it  meets  only  when  called  by  the  Librarian.  It  has  not 
met  for  over  four  years. 

From  W.  C.  Lane,  Librarian,  Harvard  College  Library: 

....  The  words  "department"  and  "departmental"  get  rather  hard  use 
in  college  affairs.  With  us,  the  term  is  applied  both  to  the  larger  divisions  of  the 
University,  including  professional  schools  and  scientific  institutions,  and  also 
to  the  divisions  of  the  Faculty  of  Arts  and  Sciences,  so  that  we  have  libraries 
which  belong  to  the  professional  schools  and  scientific  institutions  which  we  call 
departmental  libraries,  and  we  have  special  libraries  which  serve  the  needs  of 
different  departments  of  the  College.  We  also  speak  of  dividing  up  the  book 
income  of  the  College  Library  among  different  departments,  but  this  applies 
solely  to  purchases  for  the  central  library,  and  means  that  the  selection  of  books 
is  controlled  by  committees  in  each  department.  It  has  no  relation  either  to  the 
departmental  or  to  the  special  libraries. 

From  A.  C.  Coolidge,  Director  of  the  Library  of  Harvard  University: 

The  present  system  of  the  Harvard  Library  is  such  that  it  is  impossible  to 
answer  many  of  the  questions  contained  in  the  circular  sent  by  the  University  of 
Chicago,  and  there  is  no  list  of  the  regulations.  It  will  perhaps  be  helpful  if  a 
general  statement  is  made  describing  existing  conditions.  Two  fundamental 


6  THE    UNIVERSITY    OF    CHICAGO 

things  must  be  remembered  in  this  connection.  First,  that  the  organization 
today  represents  not  so  much  an  ideal  theoretical  system  as  an  attempt  to  im- 
prove and  co-ordinate  conditions  that  have  grown  up  in  the  course  of  long  years ; 
and  second,  that  the  various  divisions  of  the  Harvard  University  Library  with 
few  exceptions  receive  nothing  from  the  general  funds  for  the  purchase  of  books. 
Each  particular  branch  has  had  its  own  financial  and  other  history.  Its  growth 
has  been  usually  due  to  the  efforts  and  often  the  generosity  of  some  particular 
group  of  men  or  even  a  single  person,  and  it  is  therefore  inclined  to  resent  control 
in  the  expenditure  of  its  funds.  The  latest  edition  of  the  Harvard  statutes  of  the 
University  declares: 

"The  University  Library  consists  of  all  the  collections  of  books  in  the  posses- 
sion of  the  University.  The  Director  of  the  University  Library  is  appointed  dur- 
ing pleasure  by  the  Corporation  with  the  consent  of  the  Overseers.  He  shall  be, 
ex  officio,  Chairman  of  the  Council  of  the  College  Library;  shall  visit  and  inspect 
the  Law,  Medical,  and  other  libraries  and  be  ex  officio  a  member  of  their  adminis- 
trative committees,  and  their  Librarians  shall  annually  make  a  report  to  him. 
Librarians  and  Assistant  Librarians  are  appointed  by  the  Corporation  with  the 
consent  of  the  Overseers,  without  express  limitation  of  term  of  service;  they  are 
under  the  same  liability  of  removal  as  other  officers  of  instruction  and  adminis- 
tration. 

"The  general  control  and  oversight  of  the  Law  and  Medical  libraries  is 
committed  to  the  Faculties  of  those  schools  respectively,  to  be  administered  in 
each  case  by  a  committee  of  the  Faculty;  the  Faculty  or  committee  making  rules 
for  the  administration  of  the  Library  and  directing  the  purchase  of  books  to  the 
extent  of  the  funds  applicable  to  that  purpose. 

"The  central  collection,  known  as  the  Harvard  College  Library,  is  for  the 
use  of  the  whole  University.  With  it  are  included  for  administrative  purposes 
the  special  libraries.  Its  privileges  are  also  granted,  under  special  regulations, 
to  persons  not  connected  with  the  University.  The  general  control  and  oversight 
is  committed  to  a  council  consisting  of  a  Chairman,  and  six  other  persons,  ap- 
pointed annually  by  the  Corporation,  with  the  consent  of  the  Overseers.  Any 
vacancy  occurring  in  the  Council  is  filled  in  the  same  manner  for  the  unexpired 
portion  of  the  term.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  Council  to  make  rules  for  the  adminis- 
tration of  the  College  Library  and  to  apportion  the  funds  applicable  to  the  pur- 
chase of  books.  Subject  to  the  direction  of  the  Chairman  of  the  Council,  the 
Librarian  has  the  care  and  custody  of  the  College  Library,  superintending  its 
internal  administration,  enforcing  the  rules,  and  conducting  the  correspondence." 

The  only  official  link  of  the  whole  University  Library  short  of  the  President 
and  Fellows  is  the  Director.  The  position  is  a  newly  created  one  and  its  possi- 
bilities are  not  yet  fully  developed.  The  Director  is  also  Chairman  of  the  Council 
of  the  College  Library.  It  is  part  of  the  duty  of  the  Director  to  bring  about 
greater  co-operation  between  the  different  libraries,  to  facilitate  transfers  of  books 
from  one  to  another,  and  to  diminish  the  duplication  due  to  their  independent 
purchases.  There  is  room  for  improvement  in  this  respect,  but  it  will  have  to  be 
reached  gradually.  The  departmental  libraries,  eleven  in  number,  with  a  total 
of  350,439  volumes  and  219,311  pamphlets,  have  practically  complete  autonomy. 
They  order,  purchase,  handle,  and  catalogue  their  own  books,  and  deal  directly 
with  the  financial  authorities  of  the  University.  Some  of  them  are  subject  to 
faculty  committees,  others  to  directors  of  museums  and  laboratories.  The 
special  libraries,  thirty-eight  in  number,  with  a  total  of  79,901  volumes,  are 
regarded  as  parts  of  the  College  Library,  though  some  of  them  have  great  inde- 
pendence of  administration.  All  their  book  purchases,  however,  have  to  be  made 
through  the  central  library  and  their  bills  are  not  honored  by  the  bursar  without 
its  approval.  This  means  a  certain  control  and  a  right  of  veto,  which,  however,  is 
rarely  exercised  in  face  of  reasonable  demand.  The  various  libraries  differ  from 
each  other  greatly  in  nature  and  importance.  Some  have  attendants  paid  by 
the  central  library;  others  pay  for  their  own  attendant  or  have  none.  Some  con- 
tain chiefly  works  not  in  the  central  collection;  others  are  nothing  but  working 
collections,  sometimes  with  many  copies  of  one  book.  The  rules  as  to  their  use 
vary  widely.  In  general,  in  neither  the  departmental  nor  the  special  libraries 


are  books  lent  out  as  freely  to  students  as  in  the  central  library.  In  some  no 
volumes  can  be  taken  away  at  all.  These  special  libraries  have  been  scattered 
in  various  buildings.  A  number  of  them  will  find  place  in  the  new  Harry  Elkins 
Widener  Memorial  Library  or  building  and  this  will  doubtless  affect  their  adminis- 
tration. Most  of  them  and  especially  the  scientific  ones  have  tended  to  ask  for 
the  deposit  or  transfer  of  books  from  the  central  collection.  This  demand  has 
been  only  sparingly  yielded  to  and  where  periodicals  have  been  turned  over  to 
them  they  have  been  expected  to  keep  them  up  thereafter  from  their  own  funds. 
The  Library  Council  of  the  College  Library  divides  up  annually  the  available- 
funds  for  the  purchase  of  books  for  the  central  collection.  They  are  distributed! 
among  a  large  number  of  different  subjects,  but  often  not  in  a  manner  propor- 
tionate to  their  importance.  These  funds  do  not  come  from  a  grant  from  the 
University.  They  represent  the  income  of  various  gifts  and  bequests,  many  of 
which  have  been  for  special  purposes.  This  limits  greatly  the  freedom  of  the- 
Council  in  allotting  them  fairly.  For  each  subject  the  Council  appoints  a  com- 
mittee which  shall  have  charge  of  selecting  or  approving  the  books  purchased,, 
except  in  cases  where  a  department  delegates  its  powers  in  this  respect  to  one 
member.  The  accessions  department  of  the  library  looks  after  works  of  general' 
reference,  obvious  gaps,  special  gifts,  etc. 

From  P.  L.  Windsor,  Librarian,  University  of  Illinois  Library: 

....  It  is  quite  probable  that  when  our  new  library  building  is  erected! 
provision  will  be  made  in  that  building  for  certain  of  the  collections  now  known, 
by  us  as  departmental  libraries.  It  is  quite  likely  that  in  that  library  building, 
quarters  more  or  less  distinct  will  be  assigned  to  various  departments  so  that  they 
will  have  facilities  for  study  somewhat  similar  to  the  facilities  they  now  enjoy 
but  improved  by  the  better  service  incident  to  their  proximity  to  related  subjects. 
Better  library  service  can  probably  be  given  in  a  building  of  this  sort  than  with 
the  collections  separated  as  widely  as  ours  are  now. 

I  doubt  if  all  our  departmental  libraries  will  be  brought  into  that  new  building,, 
but  I  confidently  expect  a  good  many  to  come  in. 

From  C.  H.  Gould,  University  Librarian,  McGill  University: 

....  Like  your  own  Library — although  in  quite  a  different  way^ — our 
Library  seems  to  be  rather  individual  in  its  treatment  of  the  question  of  Depart- 
mental Libraries.  Hence  it  has  been  difficult  to  answer  some  of  your  questions 
categorically:  if  I  had  done  so,  some  of  the  replies  would  have  been  misleading. 
On  this  account,  I  have  written  a  much  longer  series  of  replies  than  I  fear  you  will 
care  to  have. 

Before  answering  the  questions,  I  ought  perhaps  to  say  that  the  present  aim 
of  our  Departments,  quite  as  much  as  of  our  General  Library,  is  to  confine  the 
books  in  a  Departmental  Library  strictly  to  those  which  are  in  steady  demand 
for  the  work  of  the  Department ;  but  with  full  co-operation  between  the  General 
Library  and  the  Departments  to  make  changes  in  any,  or  all,  selections,  whenever 
a  change  seems  desirable. 

Our  present  regulations  have  been  in  force  for  not  much  more  than  three 
years,  though  they  are  merely  modifications  of  our  earlier  practice.  Our  Depart- 
mental Libraries  have  been  much  reduced  in  size  within  the  last  seven  years. 
During  that  time  one  Departmental  Library  of  about  3,000  volumes  has  been 
limited  to  1,000  as  a  maximum;  and  another  of  about  1,800  volumes  entirely 
returned  to  the  General  Library,  with  the  exception  of  about  75  volumes  of  strictly 
working  books.  A  third,  which  used  to  contain  not  quite  500  volumes,  chiefly  of 
journals,  which  were  varied  from  time  to  time  on  the  request  of  the  head  of  the 
department,  has  been,  almost  to  a  volume,  returned  to  the  General  Library;  and 
since  your  "questionnaire"  arrived  we  have  returned  to  the  General  Library  a 
fourth  collection  of  about  1,000  volumes,  of  which  not  over  100  will  be  retained 
in  the  building.  The  room  which  has  hitherto  been  used  for  a  Departmental. 


8  THE    UNIVERSITY    OFCHICAGO 

Library,  and  which  has  accommodation  for  three  or  four  thousand  volumes,  is 
to  be  used  merely  as  a  reading-room  for  the  current  periodicals  in  which  the 
Departments  are  interested. 

You  can  see,  therefore,  that  we  have  been  growing  in  a  rather  unusual  direc- 
tion. But  thus  far — that  is,  during  the  last  seven  years — there  has  been  abso- 
lutely no  request  from  the  Departments  to  change  their,  and  our,  common 
policy. 

Our  general  theory,  without  having  crystallized  into  a  rule,  is  that  Depart- 
ments are  to  be  treated  by  the  General  Library  as  nearly  as  possible  like  indi- 
viduals; that  all  should  receive  every  consideration,  but  that  none  should  be 
permitted  to  impose  upon  others.  Sometimes,  I  must  confess,  this  theory  does 
not  absolutely  square  with  practice. 

From  H.  O.  Severance,  Librarian,  University  of  Missouri: 

A  STATEMENT  OF  POLICY  CONCERNING  BRANCH  LIBRARIES  AND  LABORATORY 

COLLECTIONS 

A.     ADMINISTRATION 

The  policy  of  the  University  library  is  to  centralize  its  work.  When  the 
library  has  been  established  in  its  new  building,  the  accommodation  for  readers 
will  be  so  greatly  increased  that  there  will  be  less  need  of  large  departmental 
collections.  With  the  increased  stack  facilities  and  with  ample  provision  for  the 
comfort  and  convenience  of  teachers  and  students  pursuing  graduate  work,  there 
will  no  longer  exist  the  same  necessity  for  large  collections  in  the  separate  build- 
ings. The  service  in  the  main  library  where  there  is  a  corps  of  trained  assistants 
will  be  more  efficient  than  the  service  can  possibly  be  in  a  branch  library.  It  will 
be  conceded  however,  that  a  small  collection  of  books  in  a  laboratory  is  not  only  a 
convenience  but  also  a  necessity  for  the  accomplishment  of  results  under  the  most 
favorable  conditions. 

From  the  point  of  view  of  administration,  these  outside  collections  may  be 
divided  into  (1)  branch  or  departmental  libraries,  and  (2)  laboratory  collections. 
Of  the  branch  libraries  there  are  four:  the  Agricultural,  Engineering,  Law,  and 
Medical  libraries.  Of  the  laboratory  collections  there  are  seven:  collections  in 
the  laboratories  of  Biology,  Chemistry,  Agricultural  Chemistry,  Dairy,  Observa- 
tory, Geology,  and  Veterinary  Science. 

1.  Branch  libraries. — The  branch  libraries  are  under  the  direct  supervision 
of  the  University  librarian.     They  are  located  in  the  buildings  of  the  several 
schools  for  the  convenience  of  special  groups  of  readers.     The  assistants  in  charge 
of  these  libraries  are  appointed  upon  the  recommendation  of  the  librarian  after 
consulting  with  the  Deans  and  the  President.     They  are  responsible  to  him  alone 
in  the  discharge  of  their  official  duties.     The  regulations  governing  the  use  of 
books  in  the  main  library  have  been  extended  with  few  modifications  to  the 
branches.     It  is  just  as  essential  that  "reserved  books  "  be  returned  on  time  to  the 
branch  as  it  is  to  the  main  library.     It  would  be  an  unjust  discrimination  to  allow 
students  in  the  engineering  and  law  schools,  for  instance,  to  evade  the  fine- 
regulation  which  is  imposed  on  students  using  the  main  library. 

These  libraries  are  open  to  teachers  and  students  at  stated  hours  daily.  Keys 
to  these  collections  will  not  be  issued  to  teachers  nor  to  students.  The  assistants 
in  charge  of  the  libraries  will  have  keys.  So  also  will  the  janitors  of  the  buildings 
in  which  the  libraries  are  located,  so  that  they  may  enter  to  clean,  but  they  will 
not  be  allowed  to  open  the  library  for  other  purposes.  This  regulation  may  seem 
arbitrary,  but  experience  shows  that  it  is  wise.  The  assistant  in  charge  of  a 
branch  library  cannot  be  held  for  the  loss  of  books  and  the  withdrawal  of  books 
without  record  when  other  men  have  keys  to  the  library  in  his  charge. 

2.  Laboratory  collections. — The  professor  in  charge  of  the  laboratory  assumes 
responsibility  for  the  collection  of  books  deposited  therein.     Books  in  the  labora- 
tories which  may  be  lost  are  to  be  replaced  from  laboratory  funds.     In  theory, 


RELATIONS    OF    DEPARTMENTAL    LIBRARIES       9 

only  books  of  reference  needed  in  the  laboratory  courses  are  shelved  there.  Con- 
sequently books  in  these  collections  are  not  for  circulation.  In  cases  where  they 
are  circulated,  they  should  be  loaned  under  the  rules  governing  the  circulation  of 
books  in  the  main  library. 

B.      BOOKS   IN   BRANCH   LIBRARIES   AND   IN   LABORATORIES 

Books  which  are  needed  for  classes  in  two  or  more  divisions  of  the  University 
should  be  located  in  the  central  or  main  library.  It  is  a  wrong  assumption  to 
conclude  that  every  book  purchased  by  a  professor  in  the  engineering  school 
will  be  assigned  to  the  engineering  library.  Nor  would  it  be  wise  for  a  professor 
of  law  to  conclude  that  every  book  requested  by  him  for  purchase  would  be  shelved 
in  the  law  library  unless  his  requests  were  confined  strictly  to  legal  literature. 
Books  on  the  bungalow  have  been  purchased  on  the  engineering,  agriculture,  and 
general  library  funds.  Should  they  be  shelved  in  three  different  places  ?  or  should 
they  be  shelved  in  the  main  library  so  that  a  reader  will  find  all  of  the  books  in 
one  place  ?  For  the  new  course  in  rural  economics  offered  in  the  College  of  Agri- 
culture, the  library  has  purchased  books  on  at  least  ten  different  though  allied 
subjects,  every  one  of  which  was  represented  in  our  library.  The  new  books 
therefore  were  additions  to  the  literature  already  classed.  Those  on  subjects 
not  strictly  agricultural  were  placed  in  the  main  library. 

The  treatment  of  chemical  journals  illustrates  the  same  policy.  These  were 
shelved  in  four  different  buildings  not  accessible  at  night.  These  journals  were 
used  constantly  by  teachers  and  students  in  medicine,  in  agricultural  chemistry, 
general  chemistry,  biology,  home  economics,  and  dairying.  These  were  brought 
together  in  the  general  library,  where  they  are  easily  accessible  to  all  readers  from 
8: 00  A.M.  to  10: 00  P.M. 

The  librarian  does  not  recognize  a  departmental  ownership  of  books.  They 
all  belong  to  the  University.  If  a  book,  or  a  set  of  books,  can  be  of  greater  use 
in  one  place  than  in  another,  it  should  be  placed  where  it  can  serve  the  greatest 
number.  When  classes  in  the  College  of  Agriculture  are  pursuing  work  which 
requires  the  books  which  are  shelved  in  the  general  library,  the  books  are  sent 
temporarily  to  the  agricultural  library  for  their  use,  provided  they  are  not  being 
used  in  the  general  library.  If  the  classes  in  the  College  of  Arts  need  books  in  the 
branch  libraries  for  their  use,  the  books  are  borrowed  and  placed  on  the  reserve 
shelves  of  the  main  library. 

The  duplication  of  inexpensive  books  for  the  use  of  classes  is  quite  general. 
This  principle  may  be  applied  to  the  branches.  Copies  are  needed  in  the  main 
library,  also  in  the  branch  at  the  same  time.  Duplication  is  therefore  advisable. 
This  cannot  be  carried  to  any  extent  until  the  library  secures  a  much  larger  appro- 
priation than  it  now  receives.  At  present  our  rule  is  not  to  duplicate  books  for 
the  branch  libraries.  The  copy  in  the  main  library  can  be  borrowed  for  temporary 
use.  If  one  copy  will  not  supply  the  needs,  a  second  or  a  third  will  be  purchased. 

The  branch  libraries  and  the  collections  in  laboratories,  in  theory,  are  tempo- 
rary working  collections.  All  books  not  used  during  the  year  should  be  returned 
to  the  main  library  for  permanent  shelving.  The  medical  and  the  agricultural 
libraries  are  overcrowded,  a  condition  which  necessitates  the  removal  of  the  less 
used  books  to  the  central  library. 

C.      IN   GENERAL 

The  mechanical  preparation  of  the  books  for  all  the  libraries  is  done  in  the 
main  library.  All  books  must  therefore  pass  through  the  main  library  for  plating, 
pocketing,  accessioning,  and  cataloguing.  Consequently  all  gifts  of  books  should 
be  sent  here.  All  requests  for  books  to  be  secured  by  solicitation  and  by  pur- 
chase should  be  sent  to  the  librarian.  All  subscriptions  to  periodicals  are  made 
by  him.  All  requests  for  books  to  be  transferred  from  the  main  library  to  the 
branch  and  vice  versa  should  be  sent  to  him. 

The  assistants  in  the  branch  libraries  are  working  under  the  instructions  of 
the  librarian.  Any  complaints  about  the  service  should  be  made  to  the  librarian. 


10  THE    UNIVERSITY    OF    CHICAGO 

From  the  University  of  Nebraska  Library: 

RULES  FOR  ADMINISTRATION  OF  THE  DEPARTMENTAL  LIBRARIES 

1 .  In  the  administration  of  the  University  library,  the  Library  Board  recog- 
nizes the  existence  of  departmental  libraries  in  the  different  branches  of  pure  and 
applied  sciences,  though  insisting,  even  among  these  branches,  upon  the  union  of 
libraries  on  related  subjects  whenever  possible,  as  has  been  accomplished  by  unit- 
ing the  collections  on  civil,  mechanical,  and  electrical  engineering  and  mathematics 
in  one  departmental  library,  the  collections  on  agriculture,  horticulture,  animal 
husbandry,  dairy  husbandry,  in  one  departmental  library,  and  as  would  be  secured 
by  the  highly  desirable  union  of  the  three  libraries  on  botany,  zoology,  and 
entomology,  now  apart. 

2.  The  general  oversight  and  supervision  of  all  departmental  libraries  shall 
be  with  the  library  board  through  the  University  librarian.     All  orders  for  books 
and  periodicals  must  be  submitted  to  the  librarian,  who  shall  have  discretion  in  the 
matter  of  duplicating  books  for  different  libraries.     Only  books  bearing  directly 
on  the  subject  included  in  any  departmental  library  shall  be  assigned  thereto. 
All  details  of  classification,  cataloguing,  binding,  and  technical  administration 
shall  be  in  charge  of  the  librarian,  who  shall  also  take  a  careful  annual  inventory 
of  every  departmental  library  and  report  results  to  each  department  concerned. 

3.  As  the  University  library  grows,  it  will  become  increasingly  impossible 
to  place  in  the  departmental  libraries  all  the  resources  of  the  library  on  the  sub- 
jects covered  by  them,  and  for  the  following  reasons  the  departmental  libraries 
will,  as  time  passes,  more  and  more  become  working  collections  and  the  central 
library  will  come  to  contain  the  less  frequently  used  books  on  all  subjects. 

a)  The  inevitable  pressure  for  space  at  the  departmental  libraries. 

b)  The  fact  that  all  periodicals,  publications  of  learned  societies  and  institu- 
tions which  include  material  on  more  than  one  scientific  subject — for  example, 
Nature,   the   American   Naturalist,   Philosophical   Transactions   of  the   Royal 
Society — cannot  be  properly  shelved  in  any  departmental  library,  and  will  there- 
fore come  to  form  a  general  scientific  reference  collection  in  the  central  library. 

c)  The  matter  of  the  largest  measure  of  safety  to  valuable  books. 

4.  The  Library  Board  believes  that  the  books  on  classical  history  and  litera- 
ture are  too  intimately  related  to  the  subjects  of  general  history  and  literature, 
philosophy  and  art,  to  be  separated  appropriately  from  the  general  library  and  that 
the  library  policy  relating  to  the  classical  library  shall  be  to  confine  it  mainly 
to  the  editions  of,  and  textual  commentaries  on,  the  classic  writers  and  such 
general  reference  books  as  are  indispensable  in  their  study. 

5.  It  is  the  policy  of  the  University  library  to  provide  suitable  attendants  for 
all  departmental  libraries  (as  is  now  done  at  the  Engineering  libraries,  the  Agri- 
cultural library,  and  the  Law  library)  as  fast  as  library  finances  will  permit,  but 
when  it  is  impossible  to  provide  a  regular  library  attendant,  each  departmental 
library  shall  be  in  charge,  under  the  direction  and  supervision  of  the  University 
librarian,  of  a  member  of  the  regular  staff  of  the  department  interested,  who  shall 
be  nominated  by  the  head  of  such  department  to  the  Library  Board.     This  attend- 
ant shall  be  paid  by  the  nominating  department  and  shall  be  strictly  responsible 
for  the  maintenance  of  accurate  shelf  arrangement  of  the  books,  for  the  care  of 
the  unbound  periodicals  sent  to  each  departmental  library,  for  their  presence  in 
the  library  room  when  not  actually  in  use,  for  such  oversight  of  the  books  as  shall 
keep  all  of  them  on  the  shelves  in  the  library  room  when  not  actually  in  use, 
and  for  the  keeping  of  as  complete  and  accurate  a  record  as  possible  of  their 
whereabouts  when  in  use  by  members  of  the  department  or  students  either  in 
laboratories  or  elsewhere. 

6.  Lending  books.     All  books  belonging  to  any  of  the  departmental  libraries 
are  primarily  for  use  on  the  campus,  and  their  removal  to  the  homes  of  members 
of  the  faculty  should  be  kept  at  a  minimum,  and  then  only  for  time  actually  in 
use.     It  is  not  the  proper  function  of  the  University  library  to  provide  in  any 
degree  a  private  library  for  members  of  the  teaching  force.     There  is  no  pro- 
vision for  student-borrowing  from  departmental  libraries.     The  departmental 


RELATIONS    OF    DEPARTMENTAL    LIBRARIES     11 

libraries  are  consulting  libraries  only  and  should  be  accessible  at  stated  periods 
each  day. 

7.  Suitable  shelving  for  departmental  libraries  shall  be  provided  at  the  cost 
of  the  department  concerned,  but  upon  plans  and  directions  furnished  by  the 
University  librarian,  and  when  in  the  judgment  of  the  librarian  suitable  and 
adequate  shelfroom  shall  not  be  available  in  any  library,  he  shall  so  notify  the 
head  of  the  department  having  charge  of  the  library,  and,  until  further  sufficient 
and  suitable  shelving  be  provided,  the  librarian  may  hold  at  the  central  library 
all  future  books  for  such  departmental  libraries.  Provided,  however,  that  if  the 
head  of  any  department  having  such  library  in  charge  shall  deem  it  impossible 
or  undesirable  to  provide  more  shelving,  he  may,  in  order  to  make  room  for  more 
books,  return  to  the  central  library  such  other  books  from  his  library  as  he  may 
select. 

From  the  University  of  Toronto  Library: 

RESOLVED,  That  any  periodicals  and  works  of  reference,  not  likely  to  be 

required  except  by  the  teachers  and  students  in  the  Department  of may 

be  removed  to  the  building  occupied  by  that  Department  and  kept  there,  subject 
to  recall  at  any  time  by  the  Librarian;  the  limit  and  number  of  volumes  so  trans- 
ferred to  be  determined  by  the  Librarian. 

A   LATER   RESOLUTION 

RESOLVED,  That  the  rule  hitherto  observed  be  re-affirmed,  namely,  that  only 
such  volumes  as  in  the  discretion  of  the  Librarian  are  not  likely  to  be  required 
except  by  the  teachers  and  students  engaged  in  laboratory  or  other  work  in  any 
Department  may  be  transferred  to  the  keeping  of  that  Department,  and  that  any 
volumes  so  transferred  may  be  recalled  at  any  time  to  the  Main  Library  by  the 
Librarian  at  his  discretion. 

From  W.  E.  Henry,  Librarian,  University  of  Washington  Library,  Seattle: 

If  I  may  make  an  explanation  of  certain  conditions  that  prevail  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Washington,  it  will  serve  as  a  key  to  the  replies  to  many  of  the  questions, 
and  thus  make  possible  much  briefer  replies  and  save  repetitions. 

1.  Many  years  ago  the  matter  of  department  libraries  was  "fought  out" 
within  the  faculty  and  the  conclusion  was  reached  that  such  libraries  should  not 
exist  in  the  institution. 

2.  It  has  been  agreed,  however,  that  any  department  as  such  may  borrow 
for  the  semester  or  for  the  college  year  from  the  general  library  such  books  as  are 
needed  rather  continuously  by  the  department,  but  these  must  be  returned  to  the 
general  library  at  the  end  of  the  loan  period.     So,  many  departments  have  each 
a  few  books  kept  in  the  professor's  office  or  in  the  lecture-room  under  the  juris- 
diction of  the  professor. 

3.  We  are  recently  encouraging  the  growth  in  a  few  of  the  chief  recitation 
buildings  of  what  we  call  for  lack  of  a  better  name  "Branch  Libraries."     They 
take  that  form  in  administration  and  each  branch  serves  all  the  departments 
working  in  the  building  where  the  branch  library  is  housed.     With  us  that  is 
likely  to  include  from  two  to  five  departments.     In  short,  the  branch  library  is 
the  consolidation  of  several  department  libraries  combined  and  has  this  advan- 
tage— several  departmental  libraries  combined  in  a  branch  are  much  more  economi- 
cal of  administration  as  one  than  as  many.     Someone  under  direction  of  the 
central  library  is  always  in  charge  of  the  branch,  whereas  we  could  not  have 
someone  in  charge  of  each  of  the  several  departments. 

4.  Our  book  funds  are  apportioned  chiefly  to  departments,  and  such  books 
as  the  departments  desire  are  purchased  within  the  limit  of  the  funds.     All  pur- 
chases are  made,  however,  through  the  central  library,  and  all  classification  and 
cataloguing  done  there.     The  books  purchased  by  department  funds  may  be 


12  THE    UNIVERSITY    OF    CHICAGO 

taken  to  the  branch  library  through  which  the  department  is  served  if  the  head 
of  the  department  so  desires. 

Most  of  our  professors  except  those  in  the  natural  sciences  prefer  to  have  their 
books  in  the  general  library,  as  there  is  always  better  service  there. 

From  Yale  University  Library,  Report  of  the  Librarian,  1913-1914: 

With  the  erection  of  laboratories  for  research  in  various  sciences,  the  buildings 
in  many  cases  at  a  considerable  distance  from  the  University  Library,  the  diffi- 
culty of  harmonizing  various  interests  as  affected  by  the  location  of  the  books 
concerned  has  become  very  great. 

The  officers  of  the  University  whose  work  centers  in  the  Osborn  Memorial 
Laboratories,  a  full  half-mile  from  the  University  Library,  have  urged  the  Library 
Committee  to  make  a  wholesale  transfer  of  biological  and  especially  zoological 
publications  from  the  central  library  to  their  laboratories.  The  question  was 
seriously  considered  by  the  Committee  in  conference  with  the  officers  concerned, 
and  it  was  decided  that  the  long-established  policy  of  maintaining  a  central 
University  Library  should  be  maintained.  The  Committee  recognized  fully  the 
disadvantage  those  labor  under  who  carry  on  their  work  in  laboratories  at  some 
distance  from  the  University  Library,  and  will  gladly  co-operate  in  building  up 
working  libraries  in  the  laboratories,  depositing  in  them  such  duplicates  as  can 
be  spared,  and  encouraging  donors  to  supply  the  means  of  enlarging  such  collec- 
tions. The  central  Library  can  do  much  by  helping  in  the  administration  of 
such  special  collections. 

A  wholesale  transfer  of  publications  in  a  particular  field  would,  on  the  other 
hand,  involve  disastrous  consequences.  A  list  of  serial  publications  specially 
desired  by  the  Osborn  Laboratories  was  drawn  up  and  circulated  among  the 
instructors  in  biology  as  well  as  in  allied  sciences.  The  result  showed  that  most 
of  those  interested  in  biology  and  all  interested  in  the  allied  fields  wished  that 
most  of  the  publications  in  question  should  be  preserved  intact  in  the  central 
library.  Moreover,  those  publications  not  specially  desired  by  the  others  were 
also  of  less  importance  to  the  biologists.  A  large  majority  of  those  consulted 
strongly  urged  the  continuance  of  the  policy  to  which  the  Committee  adhered. 

Those  familiar  with  the  use  made  of  our  large  collections  know  how  difficult 
it  is  to  foretell  the  kind  of  demands  made  from  various  directions.  In  the  above 
census,  one  important  serial,  specially  desired  for  laboratory  purposes  by  the 
biologists,  is  frequently  consulted  by  an  investigator  in  the  social  sciences.  Its 
removal  to  the  laboratory  would  greatly  inconvenience  him.  To  indicate  the 
variety  of  approach  to  any  given  material,  it  may  be  added  that  among  the  publi- 
cations specially  desired  by  the  paleontologists  is  the  Deutsche  Monalsschrift  fur 
Zahnheilkunde,  though  none  has  suggested  that  this  dental  journal  should  be  classi- 
fied with  the  paleontological  collections  or  transferred  to  the  Peabody  Museum. 

While  granting  the  necessity  of  a  working  library  in  direct  connection  with 
each  laboratory,  much  can  be  said  in  favor  of  encouraging  the  investigators  in 
special  lines  to  extend  their  work  to  include  the  large  collections  in  the  University 
Library.  The  display  of  current  journals  in  a  small  number  of  large  divisions, 
as  is  done  in  our  Periodical  Reading-Room,  offers  the  necessary  opportunity  of 
familiarizing  oneself  with  the  progress  made  in  kindred  lines  of  study.  Further- 
more, many  publications  cover  a  number  of  sciences,  such  as  the  publications  of 
the  learned  societies,  which  form  one  important  section  of  our  Library.  These 
could  not  be  transferred  to  laboratories  or  museums  without  crippling  the  work 
of  a  large  number  of  investigators.  Such  publications  are  costly,  and  could  hardly 
be  acquired  in  duplicate. 

The  transfer  of  material  to  the  departmental  libraries  also  involyes  a  serious 
difficulty,  in  that  the  latter  are  generally  closed  during  the  long  vacations,  are  not 
open  as  many  hours  a  day  during  term-time,  and  must  necessarily  suffer  from 
inadequate  supervision.  Finally,  such  a  transfer  of  material,  when  begun  in  one 
direction,  must  necessarily  be  followed  by  a  similar  transfer  of  other  material 
to  the  other  laboratories  and  departments  concerned.  The  resulting  confusion 
can  hardly  be  imagined. 


RELATIONS    OF    DEPARTMENTAL    LIBRARIES     13 

QUESTIONS   AND   ANSWERS 

1.  Number  of  Departmental  Libraries  and  approximate  number  of  volumes 
in  same. 


University 

Number  of  Departmental 
Libraries 

Number  of  Volumes 

Brown  

20 
40 

No  Departmental  Libraries. 
Chemistry,  and  Psychology, 
and  to  consist  of  duplicates  c 
40* 
14 
(Has  in  addition  some  semi- 
nary collections) 
11  Departmental 
or     Profes- 
sional   Libra- 
ries 
38  Special    Li- 
braries 
15 
15 

22 
13 

1,500 
18,000? 
Special   collections    in    Physics, 
not  to  exceed  200  volumes  each 
>f  books  in  Central  Library 
200,800 
30  to  7,400 

350,439  and  219,311  pamphlets 

79,901 

141,650 
Varies  from  a  few  hundred  to 
7,000  volumes  in  the  College 
of  Law 
300   to   8,000,    average   about 
3,000 

California.  . 

Clark  

Columbia  

Cornell  

Harvard  

Illinois  

Indiana  

Iowa  

Johns  Ilonkins.  . 

Leland  Stanford  Junior 


McGill 

Michigan .  . 
Minnesota . 


Missouri . 


Nebraska .... 
Northwestern . 


Ohio 

Pennsylvania . 

Princeton.  . 


(In  which  are  kept  most  of  the  books  owned  by  the  University. 
A  number  of  these  libraries  are  now  located  in  the  new 
Library  Building,  the  reading-room  of  which  has  a  general 
reference_  collection  of  40,000  volumes.  The  library  system 
is  in  reality  a  federation  of  Departmental  Libraries,  with  one 
General  Library  of  40,000  volumes) 

41  From  a  few  hundred  to  40,000, 

as  in  the  case  of  the  Lane 
Medical  Library  in  San 
Francisco 

6  150  to  1,500 

4  83,000 

Has  a  number  of  departmental  Number  of  volumes  not  ascer- 
collections  tained 

4  41,000 

(Has  in  addition  several  small 
laboratory  collections) 

10  36,200 

Because  of  crowded  conditions  in  the  Central  Library,  a  num- 
ber of  books  are  sent  to  departments  and  laboratories.  There 
are  three  large  Departmental  Libraries,  Engineering,  Music, 
and  Commerce,  all  under  General  Library  control 


46 
13 


Texas 

Toronto.  .  .  . 
Washington . 


Average 


10,101 
37,741 
18,139 
3,000  each 


200  to  2,000 
50  to  1,700 


Yale. 


and  16  seminar  collections 

7  Departmental 
and  11  Seminar  Libraries 

6 
27 

By  decision  of  the  Faculty  there  are  to  be  no  Departmental 
Libraries.  Any  department,  however,  may  borrow  from  the 
General  Library  for  a  semester  or  college  year  books  con- 
tinuously needed  in  the  department.  Instead  of  Depart- 
mental Libraries,  Branch  Libraries  are  placed  in  various 
buildings.  Each  Branch  Library  represents  a  consolidation 
of  several  Departmental  Libraries 

Total  number  of  books  in  Departmental  Libraries  about  200,000 
(Yale  has  a  number  of  Special  Libraries  with  special  endow- 
ments. Some  of  them  are  administered  by  me  University 
Library;  others  are  independent  of  the  latter;  still  others 
co-operate  with  the  University  Library.  The  tendency  is 
toward  central  administration  of  all.  There  is  no  Depart- 
mental Library  consisting  of  books  withdrawn  from  the 
University  Library.  The  latter  remains  intact) 


*  There  are  40  departmental  reading-rooms. 


14  THE    UNIVERSITY    OF    CHICAGO 

2.  Are  books  assigned  to  Departmental  Libraries  by  the  Library  authorities 
or  by  a  Library  Committee  of  the  Faculty  ? 

Brown. — Library  Committee. 

California. — Certain  books  bought  on  funds  of  a  department  are  controlled 
by  it,  others  are  deposited  permanently  or  temporarily  by  the  General  Library 
and  are  subject  to  recall  and  control  by  the  University  Librarian. 

Clark. — Assignment  is  under  direction  of  the  Librarian  in  consultation  with 
the  department.  In  case  of  difference  of  opinion  the  President  decides. 

Columbia. — Under  control  of  a  Faculty  Library  Council,  of  which  the 
Librarian  is  the  Secretary. 

Cornell. — Librarian  in  consultation  with  the  department. 

Harvard. — There  is  no  allotment  of  books.  Each  professional  school  has 
its  own  funds  independent  of  the  General  Library  and  therefore  controls  its  own 
books.  The  Special  Libraries  are  in  part  controlled  by  the  Central  Library. 

Illinois. — University  Librarian  in  consultation  with  the  department,  and  in 
certain  cases  with  the  Library  Committee. 

Indiana. — Mainly  under  control  of  the  departments. 

Iowa. — Under  control  of  the  University  Librarian. 

Johns  Hopkins. — A  Library  Committee,  of  which  the  Librarian  is  Secretary, 
exercises  control.  Certain  special  funds  are  controlled  directly  by  the  depart- 
ments. 

Leland  Stanford  Junior. — Under  control  of  the  General  Library. 

McGill. — Library  Committee  which  acts  through  the  Librarian  in  consulta- 
tion with  the  department.  (Special  endowments  spent  according  to  terms  of 
the  gifts.) 

Michigan. — Under  Library  Committee  of  the  Literary  Faculty,  except  Law 
and  Engineering,  to  which  allotment  is  made  by  the  Board  of  Regents. 

Minnesota. — Library  Committee. 

Missouri. — General  Library. 

Nebraska. — University  Library. 

Northwestern. — General  Library. 

Ohio. — Library  Council  in  consultation  with  the  Librarian  and  Head  of  the 
Department. 

Pennsylvania. — General  Library,  except  Law,  which  has  its  own  organization. 

Princeton. — Under  control  of  the  General  Library. 

Texas. — It  is  the  practice  to  send  books  bought  on  School  funds  to  the 
Schools  on  request  of  the  Head  of  the  School,  provided  that  it  has  a  Depart- 
mental Library. 

Toronto. — Library  Committee  of  the  General  Library. 

Washington. — Allotment  to  branches  determined  by  whether  or  not  the  book 
is  purchased  from  a  departmental  fund  and  whether  the  Head  of  the  Department 
desires  it  to  be  in  the  branch  library. 

Yale. — University  Librarian  and  Library  Committee. 

3.  Book  Funds — How  Divided  and  Allotted. 

Brown  University. — Under  central  control,  allotted  by  subjects  or  classes 
each  year. 


RELATIONS    OF    DEPARTMENTAL    LIBRARIES     15 

California. — Funds  allotted  for  each  department  in  the  annual  budget.  A 
department  cannot  share  in  the  funds  of  the  Central  Library.  The  general  book 
fund  of  the  Central  Library  is  each  year  divided  among  the  various  subjects. 

Clark  University. — Budget  made  out  by  the  Librarian  each  year  in  con- 
sultation with  the  President.  Acted  upon  by  the  Board  of  Trustees.  The 
expenditure  rests  with  the  Librarian  and  there  is  no  division  of  funds  by  depart- 
ments. 

Columbia  University. — Under  control  of  the  Central  Library.  Allotment  by 
subjects  is  made  each  year. 

Cornell. — Controlled  by  Library  Council  so  far  as  not  made  from  endowments 
specifically  devoted  to  certain  subjects  or  departments.  The  book  funds  of  the 
General  Library  are  not  allotted  to  departments,  but  to  subjects,  the  allotments 
being  made  at  the  beginning  of  each  university  year. 

Harvard  University. — The  book  fund  of  the  Harvard  College  Library  is 
apportioned  each  year  to  different  subjects.  This  does  not  concern  the  depart- 
ment or  professional  libraries,  which  have  their  own  special  funds  (Law  School, 
Medical  School,  etc.). 

Illinois. — A  general  fund  is  assigned  to  various  collections,  departments,  etc., 
in  the  following  manner:  First,  by  the  Senate  Library  Committee  making  up  a 
schedule  of  assignments  for  the  year  based  on  the  needs  of  the  various  depart- 
ments or  collections.  Secondly,  this  assignment  goes  with  recommendation  of 
the  Library  Committee  to  the  Committee  on  Apportionment  of  Library  Funds, 
consisting  of  the  Deans  of  the  Colleges,  the  President  of  the  University,  and  the 
Librarian.  This  Committee  acts  upon  the  recommended  assignments  and  makes 
any  changes  which  its  members  think  best;  assignments  as  finally  approved  by 
this  Committee  are  the  assignments  that  are  in  effect. 

Indiana. — Funds  divided  among  the  departments  by  the  Board  of  Trustees 
on  recommendation  of  the  departments. 

Iowa. — Funds  are  not  divided  among  the  different  departments.  The  head 
of  each  department  understands  that  he  is  to  submit  cards  for  all  books  wanted, 
having  in  mind  the  real  need  of  the  department  rather  than  the  amount  of  money 
available.  These  orders  are  placed  as  far  as  the  appropriation  allows,  always 
taking  care  that  the  expenditures  for  any  one  department  do  not  reach  an  unrea- 
sonable amount.  If  any  department  is  not  satisfied  with  the  Librarian's  decision 
on  this  point,  an  appeal  to  the  Library  Board  is  possible,  but  such  an  appeal  has 
never  been  made.  The  strong  features  of  the  plan  are  that  departments  do  not 
buy  books  simply  to  save  an  appropriation,  but  because  they  need  them,  and  that 
the  department  can  plan  its  purchases  more  satisfactorily. 

Johns  Hopkins  University. — The  general  fund  is  under  the  control  of  the 
Library  Committee. 

Leland  Stanford  Junior. — The  Library  Committee  decides  each  year  on  the 
maximum  that  orders  originating  in  the  departments  may  aggregate. 

McGill  University. — Under  control  of  the  Library  Committee  which  divides 
the  funds  annually,  about  60  per  cent  to  "subjects,"  40  per  cent  to  General 
Library  to  be  spent  independent  of  subjects. 

Michigan. — Allotment  to  Law  and  Engineering  departments  made  by  the 
Regents.  To  all  other  Departmental  Libraries  (in  Literature,  Science,  and  Arts) 
made  by  Library  Committee  of  the  Literary  Faculty. 


16  THE    UNIVERSITY    OF    CHICAGO 

Minnesota. — The  funds  are  divided  among  the  departments  of  instruction 
with  a  general  fund  for  the  Central  Library. 

Missouri. — Under  control  of  the  Central  Library  funds  are  allotted  each  year. 
Secure  also  from  the  legislature  every  two  years  special  appropriations  for  the 
Departmental  Libraries.  This  appropriation  is  supplemented  by  an  appropriation 
from  the  general  maintenance  fund. 

Nebraska. — Funds  not  divided.  The  Librarian  notifies  a  department  when 
it  has  spent  enough  for  a  given  year.  This  allows  a  wiser  expenditure  of  funds, 
as  departments  order  what  they  want  and  not  in  order  to  use  up  an  unexpended 
balance.  It  allows  flexibility,  as  a  department  is  permitted  to  make  heavy 
expenditures  one  year  and  light  ones  the  following  year. 

Northwestern. — The  General  Library  controls  the  funds.  Music,  Engineer- 
ing, and  in  part  Commerce  have  special  funds  under  their  control. 

Ohio. — Book  fund  is  divided  by  Library  Council. 

Pennsylvania. — Book  fund  under  control  of  Faculty  Library  Committee. 

Princeton. — Funds  are  divided  by  departments,  not  by  Departmental 
Libraries,  but  books  suited  to  Departmental  Libraries  are  freely  allowed  to  stand 
there  if  not  of  general  interest.  The  division  of  funds  is  made  by  a  Library  Com- 
mittee of  the  Faculty.  A  "Librarian's  balance"  for  the  specific  purpose  of  pro- 
viding general  works,  and  other  funds,  are  spent  at  the  Librarian's  discretion. 
Each  year  on  the  basis  of  a  general  percentage  schedules  are  made  up. 

Texas. — Over  half  of  the  book  funds  are  appropriated  directly  to  the  schools 
by  the  Board  of  Regents. 

Toronto. — There  is  only  one  fund  and  that  is  controlled  by  the  General 
Library  Committee  and  appropriated  by  them  to  departments  or  'subjects 
annually. 

Washington. — Book  fund  is  apportioned  chiefly  to  departments. 

Yale. — Under  the  control  of  the  Central  Library.  A  few  Departmental 
Libraries  have  their  own  funds. 

4.  Regulations  governing  withdrawal  of  books  from  General  Library  to 
departments  and  transfers  from  one  department  to  another. 

Brown. — Each  case  treated  on  its  merits.     The  Library  Committee  controls. 

California. — Outside  of  books  bought  on  departmental  appropriations,  books 
from  the  Central  Library  may  be  deposited  permanently  or  temporarily  in  a 
department,  subject  to  recall. 

Clark. — Arranged  by  Librarian  in  consultation  with  the  department. 

Columbia. — Permanent  transfers  and  temporary  transfers  for  more  than  one 
month  may  be  arranged  on  approval  of  Librarian  or  Reference  Librarian. 

Cornell. — Arranged  by  the  University  Librarian  in  consultation  with  the 
department. 

Harvard. — A  moderate  number  of  books  may  be  deposited  in,  or  loaned  to,  a 
Departmental  or  Special  Library. 

Illinois. — Arranged  by  the  Librarian  in  consultation  with  the  department. 
A  serious  case  of  disagreement  would  be  referred  to  the  Library  Committee. 
Transfer  of  books  from  one  department  to  another  is  also  arranged  by  the 
Librarian  in  consultation  with  the  department  concerned. 


RELATIONS    OF    DEPARTMENTAL    LIBRARIES     17 

Indiana. — The  department  which  pays  for  the  book  controls  its  location. 
If  bought  on  General  Library  funds,  the  consent  of  the  Librarian  is  required  for 
transfer. 

Iowa. — Books  are  charged  temporarily  to  the  department  which  borrows 
them. 

Johns  Hopkins. — The  Librarian  controls  withdrawal  of  books  from  General 
Library;  the  departments  concerned  arrange  the  transfer  from  one  department 
to  another. 

Leland  Stanford  Junior. — The  matter  is  adjusted  by  the  University  Librarian 
with  the  department  concerned. 

McGill. — A  department  may  borrow  a  book  from  the  General  Library  and 
retain  it  as  long  as  it  is  actually  being  used,  unless  it  is  in  the  meantime  applied 
for  by  another  department  or  by  an  individual.  When  thus  applied  for,  it  is,  as 
a  rule,  lent  to  the  second  applicant,  and  returned  to  the  original  user  as  soon  as 
possible.  In  such  cases,  and  in  the  rare  cases  in  which  the  same  book  is  urgently 
required  by  more  than  one  person  or  department,  the  Librarian  is  the  inter- 
mediary, and,  as  a  rule,  can  arrange  matters.  No  transfers  can  take  place,  under 
any  circumstances,  except  through  the  General  Library. 

Michigan. — Arranged  by  conference  with  the  Librarian.  Difficult  cases 
may  be  referred  to  the  Library  Committee. 

Minnesota. — Arranged  through  conference  by  the  Librarian  and  the  depart- 
ment. 

Missouri. — If  two  departments  want  the  same  work,  it  is  usually  shelved  in 
the  General  Library. 

Nebraska. — Transfer  is  arranged  for  by  consultation  between  the  Librarian 
and  the  department. 

Northwestern. — Books  are  borrowed  by  one  library  from  another  without 
much  trouble. 

Ohio. — Arranged  by  the  Library  Council  in  consultation  with  the  Librarian 
and  the  Head  of  the  Department. 

Pennsylvania. — A  book  is  lent  to  a  department  on  request,  provided  it  is  not 
needed  in  the  General  Library.  There  is  no  transfer  from  one  department  to 
another. 

Princeton. — Arranged  by  mutual  agreement  on  the  theory  that  a  book  is  to 
be  located  where  it  will  be  most  used.  Transfer  of  books  from  one  department 
to  another  is  rare,  but  happens  occasionally,  as  between  Chemistry,  Physics, 
and  Engineering.  The  general  principle  urged  is  for  the  Departmental  Library 
to  reduce  its  collections  to  the  real  working  books. 

Texas. — If  a  book  is  not  used  in  the  General  Library  and  is  wanted  in  a 
department,  it  may  be  lent  to  the  department. 

Toronto. — Departmental  Libraries  may  borrow  books  from  the  General 
Library,  provided  they  are  not  wanted  by  another  Departmental  Library  or  for 
general  use.  The  books  must,  of  course,  be  on  subjects  connected  with  the 
department  concerned.  Where  two  or  more  departments  want  the  same  book, 
they  must  agree  as  to  which  is  to  have  it,  or  it  must  remain  in  the  General  Library. 
Any  book  in  a  Departmental  Library  may  be  recalled  to  the  General  Library  at 
any  time. 


18  THE    UNIVERSITY    OF    CHICAGO 

Washington. — Books  may  be  placed  in  a  branch  library  on  the  request  of  a 
department. 

Yale. — Books  are  transferred  to  a  Departmental  Library  for  a  definite  period. 

5.  Are  books  in  Departmental  Libraries  considered  as  a  permanent  deposit, 
or  returned  to  the  General  Library  at  stated  periods  or  when  no  longer  used,  and 
how  is  such  transfer  regulated  ? 

Brown. — Books  not  of  much  use  are  returned,  the  department  taking  the 
initiative. 

California. — Transfers  are  handled  by  the  General  Library  with  consent  of 
department  concerned. 

Clark. — Little  occasion  for  transfer,  as  departmental  collections  are  strictly 
limited  in  number  and  consist  of  duplicates  of  books  already  in  the  Central 
Library. 

Columbia. — See  question  4.  Control  rests  with  the  Central  Library,  but 
mutual  agreement  by  Central  Library  and  the  department  is  always  sought. 
Departmental  Libraries  consist: 

a)  Of  duplicates  specially  needed  for  constant  work  in  a  given  department. 

6)  Of  books  temporarily  drawn  from  the  general  collections  for  particular 
use  during  a  limited  time. 

c)  Of  books  so  special  and  technical  in  character  and  at  the  same  time  in 
sufficiently  frequent  use  to  justify  their  permanent  shelving  in  a  Departmental 
Library.  Books,  however  special  or  technical,  that  are  used  but  rarely  are  shelved 
more  economically  and  advantageously  in  the  General  Library  than  as  part  of  a 
departmental  collection. 

Cornell. — Regulated  by  mutual  agreement  between  the  General  Library  and 
the  department,  with  reference  to  the  Library  Council  in  case  of  doubt  and  differ- 
ence of  opinion.  A  considerable  number  of  books,  no  longer  in  frequent  use  in 
departments,  are  returned  to  the  General  Library. 

Harvard. — Books  which  are  useless  to  Special  Libraries  are  turned  over  to  the 
General  Library. 

Illinois. — Some  have  collections  considered  permanent  deposits.  In  other 
cases  the  book  collections  fluctuate,  new  books  being  received  and  old  books 
returned  to  the  General  Library.  Final  control  would  rest  with  the  Library 
Board. 

Indiana. — In  a  few  cases  books  are  sent  back  to  the  Central  Library.  The 
department  controls. 

Iowa. — Usually  the  books  in  a  Departmental  Library  are  a  permanent 
deposit.  Ordinarily  it  is  easy  to  secure  a  transfer  of  a  book  to  the  General 
Library.  Mutual  agreement  governs. 

Johns  Hopkins. — No  definite  arrangement  as  yet,  as  the  bulk  of  the  Library 
is  in  the  departments. 

Leland  Stanford  Junior. — Books  are  regarded  as  loans  to  the  department  from 
the  Central  Library. 

McGill. — Departmental  collections  usually  regarded  as  permanent  deposits. 
All  Departmental  Libraries,  being  small,  are  kept  weeded  as  far  as  possible  of 
all  literature  which  is  not  live  to  the  department.  This  is  done  by  mutual 


RELATIONS    OF    DEPARTMENTAL    LIBRARIES     19 

agreement  between  the  Librarian  and  the  departmental  Head,  subject  in  some 
cases  to  decision  by  the  Library  Committee  that  the  departmental  collection 
shall  not  exceed  a  certain  number  of  volumes. 

Michigan. — The  contents  of  the  Engineering  Library  are  revised  from  time 
to  time.  This  will  have  to  be  done  later  with  other  departments,  the  books 
weeded  out  being  returned  to  the  Central  Library. 

Minnesota. — All  books  purchased  by  the  University  are  part  of  the  Uni- 
versity Library  and  are  not  considered  as  departmental  property.  Some  of  the 
departmental  collections  are  more  or  less  permanent  deposits.  The  tendency  is  to 
change  the  collections,  books  being  returned  to  the  Central  Library. 

Missouri. — The  matter  is  arranged  by  mutual  consent  between  the  General 
Library  and  the  department.  The  plan  is  to  bring  to  the  latter  all  books  seldom 
used  in  a  department. 

Nebraska. — Mostly  considered  as  permanent  deposits,  in  two  instances 
temporary  loans.  Certain  valuable  sets  are  kept  in  the  Central  Library  and  the 
departments  occasionally  return  books  that  are  seldom  used  to  the  Central 
Library. 

Northwestern. — Departmental  collections  are  permanent  deposits. 

Ohio. — Collections  generally  permanent,  a  few  temporary  changes  being 
made.  Departments  return  books  when  crowded  for  room. 

Pennsylvania. — Most  of  the  departmental  collections  are  permanent  deposits; 
periodicals  over  twenty  years  are  kept  in  the  General  Library;  and  from  time  to 
time  some  Departmental  Libraries  return  books  no  longer  needed. 

Princeton. — Usually  return  to  the  General  Library  when  they  have  pre- 
sumably ceased  to  be  of  much  use  to  the  department.  Such  return  is  arranged 
by  mutual  agreement.  We  have  some  difficulty  in  case  of  special  endowments, 
but  even  then  the  principle  prevails  of  returning  to  stacks  books  not  used.  The 
fact  is  emphasized  that  the  deposit  is  not  permanent.  Too  frequent  return  of 
collections  is  not  desired,  as  it  proves  too  expensive  to  make  changes.  Depart- 
mental collections  might  be  called  "semi-permanent." 

Texas. — This  matter  is  usually  arranged  by  mutual  agreement  between  the 
General  Library  and  the  departments. 

Toronto. — Temporary  deposits.  General  Library  comes  to  an  understanding 
with  the  department  as  to  the  books  to  be  returned  to  the  General  Library. 

Washington. — For  the  most  part,  permanent  deposits,  if  once  placed  in  a 
branch  library. 

Yak. — Generally  speaking,  all  books  are  returned  annually. 

6.  Is  a  book  recommended  by  a  department  paid  for  out  of  the  allotment  or 
book  fund  of  that  department,  even  though  by  subject  it  belongs  in  another 
department  or  the  General  Library  ? 

Brown. — Charged  against  the  department  which  orders,  unless  there  is  a 
special  fund  for  the  subject. 

California. — Departmental  funds  can  be  spent  as  the  department  sees  fit. 
The  General  Book  Fund  is  not  usually  spent  for  duplicates. 

Clark. — This  case  does  not  come  up. 

Columbia. — Is  charged  against  the  department  which  recommends  the  book. 


20  THE    UNIVERSITY    OF    CHICAGO 

Cornell. — Usually  it  is  referred  to  the  department  teaching  the  subject 
dealt  with  in  the  book,  and  if  that  department  recommends  its  purchase  it 
is  charged  to  that  subject.  If  he  does  not  recommend  purchase,  the  person 
making  the  original  recommendation  may  authorize  its  purchase  from  the  allot- 
ment made  to  the  subject  he  teaches,  or  (if  a  book  which  might  fall  in  any  one 
of  two  or  three  subjects)  the  Librarian  might  purchase  it  from  the  Discretionary 
Fund. 

Harvard. — The  Committee  of  the  department  to  which  the  book  naturally 
belongs  approves  its  purchase,  if  bought  on  the  funds  of  the  College  Library. 
Special  and  Departmental  Libraries  have  and  control  their  own  funds. 

Illinois. — The  department  which  orders  ordinarily  pays  for  it  out  of  its 
assignment. 

Indiana. — The  department  which  orders,  pays. 

Iowa. — The  department  which  orders,  pays,  and  the  book  is  placed  in  the 
Departmental  Library. 

Johns  Hopkins. — When  a  person  requests  a  book  out  of  his  subject,  one  of 
two  things  is  done:  If  within  the  scope  of  a  special  fund,  the  consent  of  the  Head 
of  such  department  is  sought  and  the  book  is  shelved  accordingly.  Otherwise  the 
request  is  considered  on  its  merits  and  if  purchased  on  the  budget  appropriation 
the  book  will  be  classified  and  shelved  according  to  its  subject. 

Leland  Stanford  Junior. — Charged  to  the  department  which  orders. 

McGitt. — Ordinarily,  the  department  which  orders,  pays;  but  the  Librarian 
may  decide,  if  the  work  is  of  interest  to  other  departments  also,  to  buy  it  from  the 
general  fund,  or  may  arrange  with  a  second  department  to  share  the  cost. 

Michigan. — Charged  to  the  department  which  orders. 

Minnesota. — Charged  to  the  department  which  orders;  but  it  does  not  neces- 
sarily mean  that  the  book  is  located  in  that  department. 

Missouri. — The  department  ordering  pays  for  the  book,  which  is  placed  in 
the  General  Library. 

Nebraska. — Charged  against  the  department  to  which  the  book  falls  by 
reason  of  its  subject-matter.  The  department  charged  is  not  consulted. 

Northwestern. — The  department  which  orders,  pays. 

Ohio. — The  department  which  orders,  pays. 

Pennsylvania. — Books  are  paid  for  by  the  department  to  which  the  book 
would  naturally  belong,  provided,  of  course,  that  the  Head  of  that  department 
is  willing  to  pay  for  it  out  of  his  funds. 

Princeton. — Department  which  orders  generally  pays,  and  in  classification 
of  the  book  that  department  is  favored  when  practicable.  But  in  general  we 
classify  by  book,  not  by  the  ordering  department.  Each  Departmental  Library 
has,  in  fact,  many  books  which  fall  outside  of  its  main  branch  in  the  general 
classification.  Where  the  ordering  department  does  not  pay  it  must  secure  the 
signed  order  from  the  department  to  which  it  is  charged.  Books  of  interest  to 
several  departments  should  be  in  the  General  Library. 

Texas. — The  department  which  orders,  pays. 

Toronto. — Usually  charged  against  the  allotment  of  the  department  to  which 
the  book  belongs  by  subject.  If  the  Head  of  that  department  objects,  or  the 
fund  is  exhausted,  it  may  be  charged  against  the  allotment  of  the  department 
which  orders  it. 


RELATIONS    OF    DEPARTMENTAL    LIBRARIES     21 

Washington. — If  purchased  on  a  departmental  fund  and  the  department  is 
served  by  a  Branch  Library,  the  book  is  placed  in  the  branch. 

Yale. — No  allotments  are  made  for  the  purchase  of  books  in  special  depart- 
ments. Some  libraries  may  have  special  endowments. 

7.  Is  a  book  bought  on  recommendation  of  a  department  placed  in  the  library 
of  that  department,  even  though  by  its  subject-matter  it  belongs  more  properly 
in  another  Departmental  Library  or  in  the  Central  Library  ? 

Brown. — Usually  placed  in  the  library  of  the  department  which  orders  it.  In 
case  of  conflicting  demands,  in  the  General  Library. 

California. — See  the  answer  to  question  6. 

Clark. — This  case  does  not  come  up. 

Columbia. — Most  books  shelved  in  Central  Library.  Recommendation  for 
purchase  does  not  decide  location  of  a  book. 

Cornell. — All  books  purchased  from  library  funds  are  arranged  and  classified 
according  to  the  subject  of  the  book  in  the  General  Library  and  may  be  withdrawn 
for  use  in  any  department. 

Harvard. — Almost  all  books  bought  by  allotment  from  the  General  Library 
funds  are  placed  in  the  General  (or  College)  Library,  not  in  the  Special  or  Depart- 
mental Libraries. 

Illinois. — If  bought  on  assignment  of  department  ordering,  the  book  is  usually 
placed  in  the  Departmental  Library. 

Indiana. — Books  are  placed  where  they  belong  according  to  the  classification, 
but  upon  request  of  the  department  are  shifted  to  the  Departmental  Library. 

Iowa. — A  department  ordinarily  orders  only  books  in  its  own  field.  If  the 
Head  Librarian  deems  it  wiser  to  place  the  book  in  the  Central  Library,  this  is 
done  and  the  department  is  notified. 

Johns  Hopkins. — The  department  which  purchases  the  book  or  controls  the 
fund  on  which  it  is  purchased  decides  its  location. 

Leland  Stanford  Junior. — Only  a  small  proportion  of  the  books  ordered  by 
departments  are  placed  in  Departmental  Libraries,  but,  as  a  rule,  there  is  no 
serious  objection  to  placing  them  there  if  requested. 

McGill. — If  of  interest  to  several  departments,  the  book  is  usually  kept  in 
the  General  Library.  In  especially  urgent  cases  exceptions  may  be  arranged  for 
through  duplication  or  loan. 

Michigan. — In  Departmental  Library. 

Minnesota . — No . 

Missouri. — As  a  rule  placed  in  General  Library,  unless  wanted  for  class  use 
in  a  department. 

Nebraska. — No  answer. 

Northwestern. — Case  has  not  come  up. 

Ohio. — In  general,  only  books  ordered  by  departments  can  be  located  in  the 
Departmental  Library. 

Pennsylvania. — In  departments.  Occasionally  the  department  allows  the 
book  to  stand  in  the  General  Library. 

Princeton. — See  answer  to  Question  6.  A  department  is  supposed  to  buy 
departmental  books  and  to  recommend  new  departmental  books,  but  when 


22  THE    UNIVERSITY    OF    CHICAGO 

necessary  for  continuous  use  the  book  may  be  placed  in  the  Departmental  Library 
whatever  its  theoretical  classification;  but  if,  e.g.,  a  biological  work  on  heredity 
is  bought  by  Psychology,  it  is  classified  in  Biology  but  located  in  Psychology.  The 
Librarian  has  a  veto,  e.g.,  he  would  veto  an  ornithologist's  proposal  to  purchase 
modern  literary  biographies  on  Ornithology  account. 

Texas. — Location  decided  by  the  department  which  pays. 

Toronto. — Books  not  ordinarily  placed  in  Departmental  Library  if  of  interest 
to  another  department.  The  development  of  the  Departmental  Library  in  that 
way  is  checked  by  the  Library  Committee  of  the  General  Library. 

Washington. — Yes.     This  causes  some  duplication  here,  but  not  often. 

Yale. — See  question  6. 

8.  Is  it  permitted  to  place  different  editions  of  the  same  book,  different  books 
on  exactly  the  same  subject,  or  the  same  phase  of  the  same  subject,  in  different 
departments  ?  Similarly,  are  different  volumes  of  the  same  work,  e.g.,  a  periodi- 
cal or  the  proceedings  of  some  learned  society,  separated  and  placed  in  different 
departments  ? 

Brovon. — Different  editions  and  books  on  the  same  subject,  or  the  same  phase 
of  the  same  subject,  are  occasionally  separated;  not,  however,  periodicals  and 
reports  of  learned  societies. 

California. — Such  separation  may  be  allowed,  but  only  for  limited  periods 
when  books  of  the  Central  Library  are  affected. 

Clark.— No. 

Columbia. — Temporarily,  yes. 

Cornell. — Different  editions  of  the  same  book  may  be  drawn  out  for  deposit 
in  different  departments  or  laboratories,  as  may  also  single  volumes  of  periodicals, 
etc.,  but  in  the  case  of  periodicals  a  definite  time  limit  is  usually  set  for  the  return 
of  the  volumes. 

Harvard. — This  question  does  not  ordinarily  come  up. 

Illinois. — Different  copies  of  the  same  book  are  frequently  separated,  but 
this  is  not  done  with  periodicals. 

Indiana. — Different  editions  of  the  same  book  and  books  on  the  same  sub- 
ject, yes,  but  periodicals  or  continuations  of  interest  to  several  departments  are 
kept  in  the  Central  Library. 

Iowa. — There  is  some  duplication,  e.g.,  in  Physics  and  Chemistry,  Education 
and  Psychology,  but  periodicals  are  not  separated. 

Johns  Hopkins. — No,  very  seldom. 

Leland  Stanford  Junior. — Some  duplication  of  copies  is  allowed. 

McGill. — To  the  first  section,  yes,  especially  in  case  of  several  copies,  but  if 
we  have  only  one  copy  and  that  is  of  interest  to  several  departments,  the  place 
for  that  book  is  in  the  General  Library;  to  the  second,  we  have  never  divided 
volumes  of  a  periodical  or  other  set  in  the  manner  suggested,  except  that  occa- 
sionally the  last  five  volumes  may  be  kept  in  a  department. 

Michigan. — To  the  first  section,  yes;  to  the  second,  no. 

Minnesota. — To  first,  in  a  very  few  cases,  yes;  to  second,  never. 

Missouri. — To  first  section,  allowed  to  a  limited  extent;  to  second,  no. 

Nebraska. — To  first  section,  yes,  occasionally;  to  second,  no. 


RELATIONS    OF    DEPARTMENTAL    LIBRARIES     23 

Northwestern. — The  case  does  not  come  up  because  of  the  well-defined  fields 
of  the  three  Departmental  Libraries. 

Ohio. — To  the  first  section,  yes;  to  the  second,  no. 

Pennsylvania. — To  the  first  section,  yes;  to  the  second,  no. 

Princeton. — To  the  first  part,  yes;   to  the  second,  no. 

Texas. — In  practice  there  is  comparatively  little  scattering  of  material;  that 
tendency  increases,  however,  as  the  number  of  our  schools  increases.  We  do  not 
allow  the  breaking  of  files  of  magazines,  etc.  Sets  are  kept  intact. 

Toronto. — If  sufficient  reason  for  duplication  is  shown,  such  separation  may 
be  allowed,  but  in  case  of  a  periodical  or  other  set  the  separation  must  be  only  for 
a  brief  period. 

Washington. — To  the  first  section,  yes;  to  the  second,  only  as  a  temporary  loan. 

Yale. — The  case  does  not  arise. 

9.  How  is  the  size  of  Departmental  Libraries  regulated  ? 

Brown. — By  space  and  funds  available.  In  principle  we  prefer  to  keep  down 
the  size. 

California. — Regulated  by  space  and  funds  available.  Small  collections,  as 
a  rule. 

Clark. — Limit  is  200  volumes. 

Columbia. — It  rests  with  the  General  Library,  but  practically  space  and  funds 
determine. 

Cornell. — There  is  no  arbitrary  limit.  The  general  policy  has  been  to  restrict 
these  collections  to  books  in  constant  use  and,  so  far  as  possible,  to  those  which 
can  be  easily  replaced  in  case  of  loss.  It  has  been  suggested  that  some  means 
should  be  adopted  of  limiting  the  collections  to  such  books  and  duplicates. 

Harvard. — The  Departmental  and  Special  Libraries  regulate  these  matters 
with  respect  to  their  own  libraries. 

Illinois. — Regulated  by  space  and  funds  available. 

Indiana. — Regulated  by  Board  of  Trustees  and  recommendation  of  depart- 
ments.- 

Iowa. — There  is  no  limit,  but  space  is  beginning  to  limit  the  size. 

Johns  Hopkins. — No  definite  limit  set. 

Leland  Stanford  Junior. — No  arbitrary  limit  has  been  fixed.  The  general 
tendency  is  to  keep  them  to  the  smallest  possible  size  consistent  with  the  require- 
ments of  the  respective  departments.  General  Library  regarded  as  main  store- 
house. 

McGill. — No  regulation  other  than  the  general  provision  that  all  Depart- 
mental Libraries  shall  be  restricted  to  working  books. 

Michigan. — Determined  by  space  and  funds. 

Minnesota.— No  arbitrary  limit  has  been  set  to  the  size  of  the  Departmental 
Library. 

Missouri. — Decision  rests  with  the  Librarian  and  the  President. 

Nebraska. — So  far  limited  by  space. 

Northwestern. — Size  limited  by  funds  available. 

Ohio. — No  limit. 

Pennsylvania. — No  limit. 


24  THE    UNIVERSITY    OF    CHICAGO 

Princeton. — Limited  by  space  and  funds.  The  General  Library  theoretically 
has  complete  control,  but  practically  rarely  comes  in  conflict.  Space  conditions 
furnish  sufficient  check. 

Texas. — No  limit.     Space  will  ultimately  decide. 

Toronto. — Size  is  regulated  by  the  Library  Committee  of  the  General  Library. 
Books  not  urgently  required  are  usually  returned  to  the  General  Library  by  agree- 
ment. 

Washington. — Regulated  by  space  and  funds  available. 

Yale. — The  question  does  not  arise  under  the  Yale  system. 

10.  How  far  are  students  of  one  department,  particularly  undergraduates, 
allowed  to  consult  the  library  of  another  department  ? 

Brown. — No  distinction  made.     Free  access  to  all. 

California. — Theoretically  the  use  is  not  restricted,  though  some  are  difficult 
of  access,  not  having  the  same  hours  as  other  libraries. 

Clark. — Accessible  mainly  to  graduate  students. 

Columbia. — All  matriculated  students  in  good  standing  have  free  access  to  all 
libraries. 

Cornell. — Access  free  to  all  members  of  the  University  upon  application  to 
the  department  concerned.  This,  of  course,  applies  to  undergraduates,  and  if 
found  that  any  undergraduate  was  not  allowed  to  consult  the  books  in  any 
Departmental  Library  should  consider  it  a  duty  to  recall  the  books  wanted  to 
the  General  Library. 

Harvard. — Cards  of  introduction  to  Departmental  Libraries  are  issued  by  the 
College  Librarian.  Some  Special  Libraries  are  open  only  to  key-holders,  others 
to  students  presenting  cards,  others  freely  to  all. 

Illinois. — Free  access  to  all  students. 

Indiana. — Theoretically,  there  is  free  access.  In  practice  we  find  it  rather 
difficult  to  enforce  the  rule. 

Iowa. — Free  access  to  all  members  of  the  University. 

Johns  Hopkins. — Free  access. 

Leland  Stanford  Junior. — Free  access. 

McGitt. — A  card  from  the  Librarian  will  admit  anyone  to  a  departmental 
collection.  An  undergraduate  would  first  obtain  the  recommendation  of  a 
professor. 

Michigan. — Free  access. 

Minnesota. — Free  access. 

Missouri. — Free  access. 

Nebraska. — Free  access. 

Northwestern. — Free  access. 

Ohio. — Students  are  supposed  to  go  the  "rounds,"  getting  their  books  in  the 
various  departments,  although  the  practice  calls  forth  some  "expressions  of 
feeling"  on  the  part  of  both  students  and  professors. 

Pennsylvania. — Free  access  to  all,  except  that  Seminar  Libraries  are  open 
only  to  graduate  students,  but  of  any  department. 

Princeton. — Departmental  Libraries  generally  open  freely,  but  Seminar 
Libraries  freely  only  to  graduate  students,  not  so  freely  to  undergraduates. 


RELATIONS    OF    DEPARTMENTAL    LIBRARIES     25 

Texas. — Free  access  to  all  students,  but  the  average  students  resent  going 
to  several  departments  for  their  books. 

Toronto. — Access  may  be  obtained  by  arrangement  with  the  department 
concerned. 

Washington. — Access  free  to  all  students. 

Yale. — Libraries  are  open  to  members  of  any  department,  subject  to  reason- 
able regulations. 

11.  Are  books  in  Departmental  Libraries  represented  in  the  catalogues  of 
the  Central  Library,  and  if  so,  how  far,  e.g.,  in  the  author  catalogue,  subject 
catalogue,  shelf -lists? 

Brown. — Yes,  in  all  catalogues. 

California. — Yes,  in  all  catalogues,  as  far  as  the  books  have  been  recata- 
logued.  If  the  book  is  a  duplicate  of  one  in  the  Central  Library,  it  is  noted  only  in 
the  author  catalogue. 

Clark. — Yes,  in  all  catalogues. 

Columbia. — In  all  the  catalogues,  except  in  the  case  of  Law  and  Edu- 
cation. 

Cornell. — In  all  catalogues. 

Harvard. — Books  in  Departmental  Libraries  are  not  in  the  Public  Catalogue, 
but  in  the  Official  or  Union  Catalogue.  Books  in  the  Special  Libraries  are  in  both 
catalogues. 

Illinois. — In  all  catalogues. 

Indiana. — In  all  catalogues. 

Iowa. — In  all  catalogues. 

Johns  Hopkins. — In  all  catalogues. 

Leland  Stanford  Junior. — In  all  catalogues. 

McGitt. — In  all  catalogues. 

Michigan. — With  the  exception  of  the  Law  Library,  books  are  represented  in 
all  catalogues. 

Minnesota. — As  soon  as  they  have  been  catalogued  they  will  be  represented 
on  all  the  records. 

Missouri. — Books  are  completely  catalogued  in  the  General  Library  cata- 
logue. 

Nebraska. — In  all  catalogues,  except  the  early  accessions,  which,  it  is  hoped, 
will  be  included  later  on. 

Northwestern. — In  all  catalogues. 

Ohio. — In  all  catalogues. 

Pennsylvania. — In  all  catalogues. 

Princeton. — Represented  in  all  the  catalogues  of  the  General  Library.  The 
deficiency  is  in  the  Departmental  Library  catalogues,  which  are  not  as  yet  in  all 
cases  supplied  with  duplicate  catalogues. 

Texas. — In  all  catalogues  except  that  of  books  in  the  Law  Library,  only  those 
of  general  interest  are  included. 

Toronto. — In  all  catalogues. 

Washington. — In  all  catalogues. 

Yale. — In  all  catalogues,  eventually. 


26  THE    UNIVERSITY    OF    CHICAGO 

12.  Are  the  books  classified  on  a  uniform  system  and  does  that  system  con- 
form to  the  one  adopted  for  the  General  Library  ? 

Brown. — Same  system. 
California. — Same  system. 
Clark. — Same  system. 
Columbia. — Same  system. 
Cornell. — Same  system. 
Harvard. — No. 
Illinois. — Same  system. 
Indiana. — Same  system. 

Iowa. — Same  system,  except  that  departments  may  depart  from  the  order- 
in  shelving  the  books. 

Johns  Hopkins. — Same  system. 

Leland  Stanford  Junior. — Same  system. 

McGitt. — Same  system. 

Michigan. — Same  system. 

Minnesota. — Same  system. 

Missouri. — Same  system. 

Nebraska. — Same  system. 

Northwestern. — Same  system. 

Ohio. — Same  system. 

Pennsylvania. — Same  system. 

Princeton. — Arranged  on  the  same  system. 

Texas. — Same  system. 

Toronto. — On  same  system,  but  departments  arrange  the  books  as  they  wish.. 

Washington. — Same  system. 

Yale. — Ultimately  to  be  on  the  same  system. 

13.  Are  Departmental  Libraries  officered  by  regular  trained  assistants  or 
by  student  help  ? 

Brown. — Student  help  for  the  most  part. 

California. — By  the  stenographer  and  secretary  of  the  Head  of  the  depart- 
ment. 

Columbia. — Trained  assistants,  but  students  for  evening  work. 

Cornell. — Some  by  regular  trained  assistants,  some  (laboratory  collections 
especially)  under  immediate  supervision  of  the  professor's  stenographer. 

Harvard. — Much  variety  in  this  respect. 

Illinois. — Trained  assistants  mostly  in  charge. 

Indiana. — All  student  help. 

Iowa. — Student  help. 

Johns  Hopkins. — Student  help  in  two  libraries,  regular  attendants  in  five. 

Leland  Stanford  Junior. — As  a  rule,  some  member  of  the  department  takes 
charge,  sometimes  the  departmental  Head,  occasionally  a  regular  assistant. 

McGill. — Generally  under  charge  of  a  demonstrator  or  instructor,  with  some 
instruction  from  the  General  Library. 

Michigan. — Trained  assistants  with  student  help. 


RELATIONS    OF    DEPARTMENTAL    LIBRARIES     27 

Minnesota. — Regular  members  of  the  staff  when  there  is  supervision,  other- 
wise officered  by  departments. 

Missouri. — The  larger  libraries,  by  trained  assistants  responsible  directly 
to  the  Head  Librarian;  laboratory  collections  in  care  of  departments. 

Nebraska. — Four  libraries  in  charge  of  regular  trained  assistants;  others  in 
charge  of  graduate  students  assigned  by  the  departments. 

Northwestern. — Not  in  charge  of  trained  assistants. 

Ohio. — In  charge  of  fellows,  assistants,  and  students. 

Pennsylvania. — Trained  assistants  in  some  Departmental  Libraries,  their 
number  gradually  to  be  increased. 

Princeton. — Trained  assistants  in  two  cases;  in  others  administered  by  mem- 
bers of  the  department;  rarely  by  student  help.  All  books  are  ordered,  classified, 
catalogued,  and  shelved  by  the  General  Library,  also  census  and  supervision  of 
shelves,  etc.,  is  attended  to  by  the  General  Library. 

Texas. — Four  Departmental  Libraries  in  charge  of  women  trained  at  the 
'General  Library. 

Toronto. — Each  department  engages  and  pays  its  own  library  assistants. 
Probably  none  are  trained. 

Washington. — Student  help  now;  expect  to  use  trained  help  later. 

Yale. — By  both  regular  assistants  and  student  help,  as  the  case  may  be. 

SUMMARY   OF   ANSWERS 

1.  Of  24  libraries  responding,  the  great  majority  hold  the  bulk  of  their  books 
in  the  General  Library,  only  small,  selected  collections  being  kept  in  depart- 
ments.    In  addition  to  the  University  of  Chicago,  Johns  Hopkins,   Illinois, 
Indiana,  and  Texas  seem  to  have  the  major  part  of  their  book  resources  in 
Departmental  Libraries.     While  Columbia  and  Harvard  house  in  Departmental 
or  Professional  Libraries  200,000  and  350,000  volumes,  respectively,  more  than 
two-thirds  of  their  collections  remain  in  the  General  Library. 

2.  In  the  majority  of  libraries  the  assignment  of  books  to  Departmental 
Libraries  is  under  control  of  the  Librarian,  working  in  connection  with  the 
Library  Committee  or  Library  Council.     Some  libraries  report  that  the  matter  is 
controlled  by  the  University  Librarian  or  the  General  Library. 

3.  The  division  and  allotment  of  book  funds  is  usually  under  central  control — 
in  most  cases,  of  a  Library  Committee  of  which  the  Librarian  may  be  the  Chair- 
man or  the  Secretary.     The  funds  are  alloted  by  subjects  rather  than  by  depart- 
ments.    In  some  universities,  e.g.,  Iowa  and  Nebraska,  there  is  no  division  either 
by  subjects  or  by  departments,  the  understanding  being  that  each  department 
submits  orders  for  all  books  wanted,  purchases  being  made  as  far  as  the  funds 
permit,  care  always  being  taken  that  the  expenditure  for  any  one  department 
does  not  reach  an  unreasonable  amount.     In  addition  to  Chicago,  Indiana  and 
Texas  seem  to  be  the  universities  in  which  distribution  by  departments  is  still 
favored. 

4.  Withdrawal  of  books  from  General  Library  for  use  of  departments  and 
transfers  from  one  department  to  another  are  usually  arranged  by  the  Librarian 
in  consultation  with  the  department  concerned,  the  Library  Committee  being 
called  upon  to  settle  difficult  cases. 


28  THE    UNIVERSITY    OF    CHICAGO 

5.  Books  are  usually  returned  to  the  General  Library  when  not  much  used, 
the  matter  being  arranged  by  the  Librarian  in  consultation  with  the  department. 
There  seems  to  be  no  definite  rule  as  to  the  time  for  return  of  books  lent  to  depart- 
ments.    Presumably,  if  not  called  for  by  other  departments  or  individuals,  they 
are  allowed  to  remain  in  the  Departmental  Library  for  an  indefinite  period.     In  a 
few  instances  books  are  returned  to  the  General  Library  once  a  year. 

6.  The  cost  of  a  book  is  usually  charged  against  the  department  which  orders 
it  or  against  the  subject  covered  by  the  book  unless  there  is  a  special  fund  for  the 
subject  or  department.     Most  answers  indicate  that  the  department  which  orders, 
pays,  provided  always  that  there  is  a  departmental  book  fund. 

7.  The  fact  that  a  book  is  purchased  on  recommendation  of  a  department  and 
paid  for  out  of  its  appropriation  does  not  in  a  majority  of  libraries  decide  the  loca- 
tion of  the  book.     Such  books  are,  when  of  general  interest,  usually  shelved  in  the 
General  Library. 

8.  Different  editions  of  the  same  book  and  different  books  on  exactly  the 
same  subject  or  the  same  phase  of  the  same  subject  are  usually  kept  together  in 
one  library,  exceptions  being  few  and  the  separation  in  those  cases  usually  tempo- 
rary.    Sets  of  the  same  periodical  or  of  the  proceedings  and  transactions  of  the 
same  society  are  not  separated. 

9.  Space  and  funds  available  usually  determine  the  size  of  the  Departmental 
Library.     In  one  case  the  limit  is  reported  as  200  volumes;  in  others  there  is  a 
general  regulation  that  the  collections  in  Departmental  Libraries  shall  be  limited 
strictly  to  working  books;    in  still  others  the  size  is  regulated  by  the  Library 
Committee,  the  Librarian,  and  the  President. 

10.  Access  to  Departmental  Libraries  is  usually  free  to  all  students  without 
distinction.     In  some  cases,  it  is  granted  only  to  graduate  students;   in  others, 
to  graduate  students  of  the  department  and  to  all  members  of  the  Faculty.     In 
some  cases  the  Librarian  issues  cards  to  individuals;   again,  the  matter  may  be 
arranged  with  the  department  concerned. 

11-12.  The  aim  is  in  general  to  have  all  books  in  Departmental  Libraries 
represented  in  all  catalogues  of  the  General  Library  and  to  have  a  uniform 
system  of  classification  for  all  libraries. 

13.  The  largest  and  most  important  Departmental  Libraries  have  for  the 
most  part  trained  assistants.  The  others  are  looked  after  by  members  of 
the  Faculty,  the  secretary  of  the  Head  of  the  department,  or  by  student  help, 
as  the  case  may  be. 

From  the  foregoing  it  appears  that: 

a)  Assignment  of  books  to  Departmental  Libraries  is  under  the  charge  of 
the  Librarian  at  Clark,  Columbia,  Cornell,  Harvard,  Illinois  (for  the  most  part), 
Iowa,  Leland  Stanford  Junior,  Missouri,  Northwestern,  Nebraska,  Pennsylvania, 
Princeton,  Washington,  and  Yale. 

It  is  under  departments  at  Indiana  and  Texas  (in  part). 

It  is  arranged  by  a  General  Library  Committee  working  with  the  Librarian 
at  Brown,  California,  Johns  Hopkins,  McGill,  Michigan,  Minnesota,  and 
Ohio. 

b)  Book  funds  are  apportioned  by  subjects,  not  by  departments,  at  Brown, 
Columbia,  Cornell,  Harvard,  Johns  Hopkins,  Leland  Stanford  Junior,  McGill, 
Michigan,  Missouri,  Ohio,  Pennsylvania,  Princeton,  and  Toronto. 


RELATIONS    OF    DEPARTMENTAL    LIBRARIES     29 

Book  funds  are  not  apportioned  to  departments,  but  assigned  to  the  General 
Library,  which  usually  keeps  a  record  of  the  expenditures  for  books  in  any  par- 
ticular subject  at  Clark,  Iowa,  Nebraska,  Northwestern  (with  the  exception  of 
one  or  two  departments),  and  Yale. 

Book  funds  are  apportioned  to  departments  at  California  (in  part,  the  larger 
share  being  assigned  to  the  General  Library),  Indiana,  Minnesota  (with  large 
assignment  to  the  General  Library),  Texas  (little  over  one-half  to  departments, 
rest  to  General  Library),  and  Washington  (larger  part  to  departments). 

c)  The  allotment  of  books  to  Departmental  Libraries  as  permanent  deposits 
or  their  return  to  the  General  Library  at  stated  periods  is  usually  regulated  by 
mutual  agreement  between  the  Librarian,  or  in  some  cases  the  Library  Committee, 
and  the  department. 

The  libraries  in  which  the  General  Library  seems  to  have  more  control  over 
the  matter  than  in  most  institutions  are  Cornell,  Leland  Stanford  Junior,  Michi- 
gan, McGill,  and  Yale. 

d)  To  the  question,  Does  the  department  which  orders  a  book  pay  for  it 
when  by  subject-matter  it  belongs  to  another  department  or  the  General  Library  ? 
the  majority  of  libraries  answer  that  the  department  which  orders,  pays.     This, 
however,  does  not  necessarily  mean  that  the  book  is  placed  in  that  department. 
Missouri,  for  instance,  places  the  book  in  the  General  Library;    McGill  and 
Cornell  may  buy  it  from  general  or  discretionary  funds,  or  arrange  with  a  second 
department  to  share  the  cost;    Pennsylvania  and   Toronto   charge   the   cost 
against  the  department  to  which  the  book  naturally  belongs,  provided  always 
that  the  Head  of  that  department  is  willing  to  pay;   at  Princeton  the  depart- 
ment which  pays  is  usually  favored  in  the  classification  of  the  book  when  that  is 
possible. 

e)  As  regards  the  location  of  a  book  bought  on  recommendation  of  a  depart- 
ment when  by  its  subject-matter  it  belongs  more  properly  in  another  Depart- 
mental Library  or  the  Central  Library,  the  department  which  orders  usually 
receives  the  book.     At  Brown  and  Illinois  the  book  may,  in  case  of  conflict,  be 
placed  in  the  General  Library.     The  General  Library  is  also  given  preference 
in  such  cases  at  Columbia,  Cornell,  Harvard,  Indiana,  Iowa,  Leland  Stanford 
Junior,  McGill,  Minnesota,  Missouri,  Toronto,  and  Yale.     At  Indiana,  however, 
the  department  may  request  the  transfer  of  the  book. 

The  Library  which  orders  is  given  preference  at  Johns  Hopkins,  Ohio, 
Pennsylvania,  and  Texas. 

CONCLUSION   AND   SUMMARY 

The  information  contained  in  the  foregoing  answers  constituted  the  basis 
for  further  consideration  and  study  by  the  Subcommittee.  A  report  was  pre- 
pared and  submitted  to  the  Director  of  the  Libraries,  and  later  to  the  full  Com- 
mittee at  two  successive  meetings  in  May  and  June,  1915. 

Unfortunately,  Mr.  Parker,  who  represented  the  School  of  Education,  was 
prevented  from  further  participation  in  the  work  of  the  Committee.  A  letter 
from  him  dated  June  3,  1915,  to  Dr.  Burton,  of  which  a  part  is  quoted  here, 
indicates  sufficiently,  however,  his  attitude,  as  well  as  that  of  Mr.  Judd,  with 
reference  to  some  of  the  most  important  principles  involved. 


30  THE    UNIVERSITY    OF    CHICAGO 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  we  [Mr.  Judd  and  Mr.  Parker]  are  strongly  in  favor 
of  the  general  type  of  organization  described  in  the  report  of  the  Subcommittee,  I 
am  submitting  the  following  statement  of  the  way  in  which  we  are  now 
co-operating  with  the  General  Library  and  the  Psychological  Library,  particularly 
in  the  conduct  of  our  graduate  work. 

Graduate  work  in  the  Department  of  Education  was  not  organized  upon  any 
extensive  scale  in  the  University  until  1909.  Since  that  date  the  Department 
has  grown  to  the  point  where  it  is  now  the  third  largest  graduate  department 
in  the  University. 

This  very  rapid  growth  of  a  new  graduate  department  presented  very  serious 
problems  in  connection  with  library  facilities.  The  question  early  arose  whether 
we  should  (a)  launch  out  upon  the  development  of  new  collections,  or  (6)  endeavor 
to  profit  as  much  as  possible  by  the  facilities  already  available,  and  to  plan  to 
co-operate  with  other  related  departments  in  the  development  of  further  facilities. 
We  decided  to  adopt  the  latter  alternative. 

In  connection  with  the  History  Department  we  secured  the  services  of  Mr. 
Jernegan,  who  is  not  only  an  expert  bibliographer,  but  has  made  a  special  study 
of  the  history  of  English  and  American  educational  institutions,  a  phase  of 
historical  educational  investigation  which  we  were  particularly  interested  in 
encouraging.  By  this  happy  co-operative  arrangement  with  the  History  Depart- 
ment we  have  had  brought  to  the  services  of  our  graduate  students,  not  only  the 
aid  of  an  expert  in  historical  technique,  but  also  the  use  of  the  large  amount  of 
documentary  material  and  other  books  in  the  History  and  Law  collections  which 
are  important  sources  in  the  conduct  of  historical,  educational  researches.  The 
duplication  of  these  collections  in  a  separate  library  of  the  Department  of  Educa- 
tion would  have  consumed  years  of  time  and  have  delayed  the  development  of 
our  graduate  work  accordingly.  It  is  not  necessary  to  elaborate  further  the 
many  happy  consequences  of  this  experiment,  but  it  seems  to  me  it  contains  a 
number  of  useful  suggestions  for  similar  co-operative  endeavor  in  the  case  of  other 
related  departments,  particularly  those  related  to  the  social  sciences. 

In  connection  with  our  work  in  Educational  Psychology,  we  secured  the 
hearty  co-operation  of  Professors  Angell  and  Carr  and  arranged  for  our  advanced 
students  to  use  the  collections  in  the  Psychological  Library  for  most  of  their 
bibliographical  work.  The  results  of  this  co-operation  have  been  just  as  fortunate 
as  in  the  case  of  the  co-operation  with  the  History  Department. 

The  general  reading-room  for  college  students  in  Elaine  Hall  has  been  re- 
garded, since  the  fall  of  1912,  as  a  branch  of  the  General  Library,  just  as  some  of 
the  smaller  public  libraries  scattered  throughout  the  city  system  would  be 
regarded  as  branches  of  the  general  City  Library.  This  branch  contains  a  small 
collection  of  books  which  are  in  relatively  permanent  use  by  the  students  in  the 
College  of  Education,  plus  such  additional  books  as  may  be  transferred  there 
temporarily  for  short  periods  from  the  General  Library.  In  addition  to  this 
reading-room,  there  is  a  reading-room  for  high-school  students  which  contains 
small  collections  of  books  in  all  high-school  subjects. 

While  it  may  not  be  possible  for  all  departments  to  effect  such  profitable 
co-operative  relations  as  those  described  above,  it  seems  to  us  that  the  general 
efficiency  of  the  library  situation  on  the  whole  campus  would  be  greatly  increased 
by  the  adoption  of  the  fundamental  principles  upon  which  this  type  of  co-operative 
endeavor  has  been  based. 

The  first  proposals  of  the  Subcommittee,  after  it  had  completed  its  study 
of  the  material  and  evidence  at  hand,  had  contemplated  rather  sweeping  changes 
in  some  of  the  existing  rules  and  practices,  the  most  important,  perhaps,  being 
distribution  of  book  funds  by  subjects  rather  than  by  departments,  and  the  assign- 
ment of  books  of  general  character  to  the  General  Library,  even  when  ordered 
by  a  department,  the  Departmental  Library  concerned  being  in  all  such  cases 
entitled  to  borrow  the  book  for  an  indefinite  period.  However,  the  opinion  of 
the  full  Committee  that  such  measures  might  prove  too  radical,  and  that  for  the 


RELATIONS    OF    PEP X^^-gfeTA-L:  fr*I.B R* A* ft'frB S     3l . 

present,  at  least,  sudden  changes  in  long-established  practice  might  -better  be 
avoided,  finally  prevailed.  •  •  •«£  ».J*  /.\  ;•/    •„• 

Accordingly,  in  June,  1915,  at  a  final  meeting  of  tfrte'Co'mmittee,  tbfe  following 
general  principles  and  specific  recommendations  were  adopted,  the  order  and  form 
here  given  being  that  in  which  they  were  finally  embodied  in  the  Rules  and  Regu- 
lations of  the  University  Libraries: 

5.  The  Libraries  of  the  University  include: 
a)  The  General  Library; 

6)  The  Departmental  Libraries; 
c)   The  House  Libraries. 

They  constitute  the  University  Libraries  under  the  general  administration 
of  the  Director. 

6.  a)  The  Departmental  Libraries  severally  contain  books  specially  needed 
in  connection  with  the  work  of  investigation  and  instruction  of  a  particular 
department,  group  of  departments,  school,  or  college  of  the  University.     In 
case  of  difference  of  opinion  the  field  of  each  Departmental  Library  is  defined 
by  the  Library  Board.     Libraries  which  require  books  outside  their  special  field 
use  the  General  Library  or  other  Departmental  Libraries  and  do  not  attempt  the 
development  of  a  General  Library.     The  collections  of  such  libraries  are  confined 
to  the  subjects  determined  upon,  and  such  reference  books  as  are  needed  fre- 
quently enough  to  warrant  their  dupli cation.     Any  Departmental  Library  may 
borrow  books  from  the  General  Library  and  from  other  Departmental  Libraries 
as  needed. 

14.  All  books  in  all  libraries  of  the  University  are  the  property  of  the  Uni- 
versity and  belong  to  the  University  Libraries.     Books  acquired  by  gift  or 
exchange  are  assigned  by  the  Director  to  the  General  Library  or  to  a  Depart- 
mental Library,  subject  in  the  case  of  gifts  to  the  conditions  under  which  they 
have  been  accepted  from  the  donor.     Appeal  may  be  made  from  the  decision  of 
the  Director  to  the  Board  of  Libraries. 

15.  a)  All  books  belonging  to  the  libraries  are  as  far  as  practicable  located 
where  they  are  likely  to  be  of  most  service,  whether  in  the  General  Library  or  in 
a  Departmental  Library. 

6)  Books  of  interest  to  several  Departments,  by  whatever  Department 
recommended  or  to  whatever  account  charged,  are  assigned  by  the  Director  to 
the  General  Library,  or  other  library,  in  which  it  is  judged  that  they  will  be  of  the 
greatest  service.  The  Department  that  has  recommended  the  purchase  is  noti- 
fied of  the  location  of  the  book,  provided  it  is  assigned  to  another  library.  When 
catalogued,  a  printed  or  multigraphed  card  is  supplied  for  the  library  of  the  Depart- 
ment which  has  recommended  the  purchase.  In  no  case  of  such  diversion  of  a 
new  book  to  a  library  other  than  the  one  from  which  the  order  came,  is  the  cost  of 
the  book  charged  against  the  appropriation  of  the  Department  originally  ordering 
it,  unless  by  agreement  of  that  Department. 

c)  The  first  or  only  set  of  a  given  periodical,  or  of  the  reports,  proceedings, 
or  transactions  of  a  society,  institution,  or  government  office,  is  not  in  general 
divided  between  libraries,  but  after  consultation  with  the  libraries  concerned 
assigned  as  a  whole  to  that  library  in  which  it  is  judged  it  will  be  of  the  greatest 
service.     In  cases  in  which  broken  sets  already  exist,  the  Director  has  authority 
to  locate  them  in  the  General  Library  or  other  library  in  which  they  are  likely 
to  be  of  the  greatest  service.     Appeal  from  the  Director's  decision  may  be  made 
to  the  Board  of  Libraries. 

d)  Duplicates  may  be  located  in  different  libraries  according  to  need.     Differ- 
ent editions  of  the  same  book,  different  lives  of  the  same  individual,  etc.,  are  as  far 
as  possible  shelved  together.     Only  in  special  cases  to  be  decided  by  the  Director 
may  lives  of  the  same  person  or  different  editions  of  the  same  book  be  separated. 

e)  Books  no  longer  needed  in  a  Departmental  Library  are  returned  to  the 
General  Library. 


32  :     T  H  JS\  UJNf  ilfej  T.  Y» :  O  F    CHICAGO 

/)  Bodks  8r.e  terjapOr arily.  transferred  from  one  library  to  another  on  agree- 
ment bf  tfc'e"  representatives  of  the  libraries  immediately  concerned,  and  approval 
by  the' Director,  "and  charged 'as  in  the  case  of  other  loans. 

To  most  librarians  the  foregoing  resolutions  may  seem  merely  to  confirm 
principles  of  library  practice  already  well  established  and  long  accepted  by  the 
best  authorities;  that,  in  other  words,  the  results  of  the  Committee's  labors  are 
out  of  all  proportion  to  the  time  and  labor  expended,  and  merely  serve  as  an  addi- 
tional illustration  of  the  words  of  Horace,  "Parturiunt  montes  nascetur  ridiculus 
mus." 

When,  however,  the  situation  confronting  the  Committee  in  1914  is  con- 
sidered, it  will  readily  be  seen  that  the  principles  and  rules  adopted  repre- 
sent in  this  particular  instance  a  distinct  step  in  advance.  This  has  also 
been  borne  out  by  later  developments,  particularly  in  the  regulation  of  routine 
affecting  books  of  general  character  ordered  by  departments. 

Such  books  are  now,  with  few  exceptions,  classified  and  catalogued  as  part 
of  the  General  Library,  and  charged  to  the  department  which  has  placed  the  order, 
thus  obviating  laborious  and  expensive  changes  in  cataloguing  records  required 
under  the  old  order. 

In  the  case  of  the  Department  of  Geography  it  has  been  judged  necessary 
for  special  reasons  to  permit  a  less  strict  application  of  the  general  practice  than 
in  the  case  of  other  departments.  Including,  as  it  does,  Historical,  Commer- 
cial, and  Military  Geography,  Economic  Resources,  and  kindred  subjects,  its 
library  overlaps  and  parallels  in  a  measure  that  of  History,  Political  Econ- 
omy, Political  Science,  Sociology,  Commerce  and  Administration,  and  to  a  less 
extent  also  Biology  in  the  Scientific  Group.  For  this  reason  it  has  seemed 
necessary  to  assign  to  this  Library  books  outside  its  field,  strictly  defined,  some- 
what more  freely  than  in  the  case  of  most  of  the  other  Departmental  Libraries. 
Should  close  physical  connection  between  the  Geography  Library  and  that  of 
the  Historical  Group  and  the  General  Library  in  Harper  some  day  prove  possi- 
ble, one  of  the  most  serious  of  the  remaining  obstacles  to  harmonious  and 
unified  development  of  book  collections,  at  any  rate  for  the  Humanities,  will 
have  been  finally  removed. 

In  conclusion,  the  Committee  wishes  to  express  its  gratitude  for  the  assist- 
ance received  from  the  many  librarians  who  not  only  answered  the  list  of  questions 
addressed  to  them  but  in  other  ways  furnished  information  of  great  value, 
particularly  to  the  editor  and  the  other  members  of  the  Subcommittee  to  whom 
the  task  of  studying  the  material  thus  collected  had  been  specially  assigned. 


POO  032  055     e 


